Leaders of BC-E Muslims on Wednesday raised concerns over inadequate political representation and unresolved community issues, even as they highlighted significant gains in recent local body elections.

At a meeting held at 3 pm, chaired by BC Samaj president Sangem Surya Rao, National Coordinator Dr. J. Purnachandra Rao, IPS (Retd), said that while 138 sarpanches, 305 deputy sarpanches and 2,508 ward members from BC-E Muslim communities were elected across Telangana, representation at the Assembly level remained “grossly inadequate.”

He pointed out that Muslims constitute about 13 per cent of the State’s population but have only seven MLAs, while communities such as Kamma, Reddy and Velama, which together account for around 5 per cent, have nearly 60 MLAs. The meeting resolved to strive for the election of at least 15 MLAs from BC-E Muslims, ensuring a minimum of seven representatives from rural Telangana where 14 BC-E castes are concentrated.

The leaders also decided to organise an “Atmeeya Sathkaram” (felicitation) for the elected sarpanches in recognition of their performance in local body polls.

State-level meet planned
A State-level convention of BC-E Muslims will be held at Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad on June 16 to mobilise support and chart future strategies.

Key issues highlighted
Participants said BC-E Muslim communities have historically remained marginalised despite recognition in earlier Census records (1901–1931). They alleged that post-1950 policy frameworks failed to adequately address their socio-economic backwardness.

The meeting flagged inequities in reservation policies, stating that the existing 4 per cent quota for Muslims is insufficient and poorly implemented. Concerns were also raised over limited access to education, employment opportunities and welfare schemes.

A major grievance related to delays and inconsistencies in issuing caste certificates to the 14 BC-E Muslim groups, reportedly due to lack of clarity at the field administration level. The leaders urged the government to issue clear guidelines to district officials to streamline the process.

Suggestions from leaders
Several Muslim leaders from districts including Warangal, Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar, Khammam and Nalgonda — Md Shabbir, Bade Sab, Yakub Sab, Sher Ali, Hussain Bhai, Jamil, Syed, Khasim Pasha and Salim — participated and offered suggestions.

Retired Additional Collector Suryanarayana and retired DEO Vijay Kumar also attended the meeting and emphasised the need for administrative and policy-level interventions.

Demands
The meeting put forward the following demands:

* Enhancement of reservation for BC-E Muslims to at least 10 per cent
* Streamlining of caste certificate issuance with clear guidelines
* Targeted measures in education and employment
* Increased political representation in legislative bodies