In Central Hyderabad, a 125-feet-tall bronze statue of B.R. Ambedkar has been unveiled near the recently inaugurated Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat. The statue was inaugurated by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Ambedkar Jayanti, with Dalits from all 119 Assembly constituencies in the state invited to the event. Additionally, a shorter version of the statue was unveiled by Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K.T. Rama Rao in another part of the city.
These initiatives by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) aim to sway Dalit votes in their favor as the state prepares for elections later this year. The BRS has been actively engaging with the Dalit community in recent years, evident through the construction of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat and the launch of the Dalit Bandhu Scheme in 2021. The secretariat spans 28 acres and features the Ashoka Emblem at the main dome, standing at a height of 265 feet.
Telangana has a significant Scheduled Caste (SC) population, with the Samagra Kutumba Survey of 2014 revealing that 17.48% of the state’s population belongs to the SC category. In 13 out of the 32 districts, the SC population exceeds 20%, reaching 26% in Mancherial district, which comprises three Assembly constituencies. The 2011 Census data estimated the SC population to be 15.45%.
The BRS’s efforts to court Dalit voters can be traced back to a decade ago when Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao promised a Dalit Chief Minister if his party came to power. However, that promise was forgotten following the party’s decisive victory in 2014. While Dr. T. Rajaiah, a member of the Madiga community, was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, he was removed from office before the government completed its first year. Since then, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, now known as the BRS, has intermittently made efforts to win over the Dalit community. In the 2014 Assembly election, the party won 13 out of the 19 seats reserved for SCs, a number that increased to 16 in 2018.
The unveiling of the tallest Ambedkar statue in the country and the establishment of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat reflect the BRS’s ongoing commitment to connect with the Dalit community and consolidate their support. The party’s initiatives, such as the Dalit Bandhu Scheme, aim to empower SC families by providing them with a one-time capital grant of ₹10 lakh to start their own businesses or entrepreneurial ventures.
As the state gears up for the upcoming elections, the BRS’s efforts to woo Dalit voters through symbolic gestures and welfare schemes demonstrate their focus on securing a stronger electoral base. By highlighting the legacy of B.R. Ambedkar and addressing the aspirations of the SC population in Telangana, the BRS aims to strengthen its position and appeal to a significant voter segment in the state.