Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled a 206-foot-tall statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at Swarajya Maidan in Vijayawada on January 19, in what is being seen as an attempt to attract the votes of the Scheduled Caste (SC) population in the Assembly and parliamentary elections due later this year.
“This towering statue reflects Ambedkar’s immense contribution to India’s social, economic, political and gender landscapes,” Mr. Reddy said while inaugurating the Statue of Social Justice. “Even a century later, his visionary words echo, steering the nation towards progress. Recognising his enduring principles, our government has woven them into our ‘Navaratnalu’ initiatives,” he added.
The SC community constitutes about 19% of Andhra Pradesh’s population. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) contested the general elections for the first time in 2014. It won 13 seats from the SC segment out of the total 29 it contested. In 2019, the party won 33 SC and ST seats. In comparison, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) managed to win only one SC seat in 2019. Despite its success with the SC community over the years, the YSCRP is leaving no stone unturned, especially given the alliance between the TDP and the Jana Sena Party.
