Kapus get alienated from Telugu Desam over quota

KAKINADA: With the recent political developments in the state, the Kapu community is gradually getting alienated from the Telugu Desam over the issue of reservations. It is with the help of the Kapu vote, and the cine actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, that the TD managed to win in Assembly elections in 2014 with a slight margin over the YSR Congress.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu himself acknowledged this several times and promised to give reservations to the community. However, even though the state Assembly has passed a resolution to this effect and sent it to the Centre, there was no follow-up yet on the move. It is doubtful whether the reservations for the Kapus will become reality before the 2019 elections. Therefore Mr Chandrababu Naidu will have to face the heat in the elections, according to Kapu leaders. According to them, Pawan Kalyan had declared that he was breaking away from the TD and the BJP and he was contesting the 175 seats on his own. A substantial chunk of the Kapu vote may go to Pawan Kalyan.

Mudragada Padmanabham has a substantial vote bank clout among the Kapus and he is targeting the defeat of the TD led by Mr Chandrababu Naidu.  A portion of the vote of the Kapus may be taken by the TD due to the presence of Kapu candidates in their ranks contesting in the elections. “Mr Chandrababu Naidu is playing cheap tricks over the Kapu reservation issue. He has only passed resolution for giving the Kapus reservations and put the ball in the Central government’s court. It seems that Mr Naidu is not interested in providing reservations to us. So, the Kapus will not go with him in the coming general elections,’’ said Kapunadu Joint Action Committee state coordinator V.Y. Das.

He said that he had insulted the Kapu community, and that the community would not forget the humiliation.  He said that nearly 40,000 government jobs were in the offing in coming years and the Kapus could get nearly 2,000 to 3,000 jobs, if Mr Naidu issued a GO. Now they will lose this opportunity due to Mr Naidu’s stand on the Kapu reservations. The Telaga, Balija and Kapu Joint Action Committee convener Dasari Ramu said that at present the Kapus were not with Mr Naidu as he made the mistake of not implementing the Kapu reservations.

He said that he should implement the Kapu reservations in the state by issuing a GO immediately. Otherwise, the Kapu vote may go to the other parties. But he made it clear that he couldn’t say which party would get the Kapu votes in the coming elections.

Mudragada to take up another Yatra:

Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham is planning to undertake Kapu Chaitanya Yatras, unless Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu implemented Kapu reservations in the state. He has given a deadline for the Chief Minister till March 31. Till then he will be waiting for the GO. After that, he will chalk out an action plan to defeat the TD in the coming elections.

According to Kapu Nadu sources, he wants to fight for achieving reservations for the Kapus, but his main aim is to defeat the TD, led by Mr Chandrababu Naidu in the coming elections. “We will discuss the Kapu reservation issue in the first week of April and the Kapunadu JAC will be meeting in second week of April. Then we will decide the plan of action against the TD,’’ said Kapunadu leader.