Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud announced on Wednesday (October 30) that the Congress party is advancing its commitment to conduct a caste census, which will serve as the cornerstone for welfare programs in Telangana.

Goud reiterated that the national Congress leadership had pledged to implement a caste census if elected to power, news agency ANI reported.

Goud emphasized that the process of initiating the caste census would begin within one year of the commitment, stating, “Within one year of making the promise, our Chief Minister and we have started this. The caste survey will be the basis for all welfare-related activities. We are proceeding with our commitment despite the state exchequer being in turmoil as they (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) have mismanaged the state’s finances. Therefore, they have no moral right to criticise this newly formed government.”

Goud further acknowledged the support from senior leaders such as Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who all affirmed that the caste census would ensure fair distribution of resources based on population demographics once Congress formed the government in Telangana.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Mallu Ravi announced that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other public representatives had passed a unanimous resolution in favour of the caste census. He shared that the TPCC district president will assign a coordinator in each district to oversee the survey’s implementation.

During a meeting held at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad, Congress leaders, including MPs, MLAs, and MLCs, discussed their responsibilities in facilitating the census.