Hyderabad, Feb. 6 -- Amidst concerns expressed by the Opposition that there is a 15 percent decline in population of the backward classes, the group that was actually targeted to achieve the same quantum of growth in the reservation, the Congress government in Telangana tabled a report in the State legislature to extend 42 percent political reservation to the BCs ahead of the local body polls.

The Opposition led by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti argued that the report was a sham projecting a decline in the BC population from 61 to 46 percent. But the government stuck to its stand that the strength of the group went up significantly which was further consolidated by a substantial drop in the population of other castes.

In the maze of figures ...