Andhra assembly elections: To counter Kapu swing, YSRC gives 41 seats to BCs

AMARAVATI: Making a strong pitch for BC votes, YSRC granted at least 29% assembly seats to leaders from backward classes communities.


The party fielded as many as 41 BC leaders in a total of 140 unreserved seats. The party also fielded seven BC candidates for 20 unreserved Lok Sabha constituencies.

Sensing that it might not get enough of Kapu votes with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena in the fray, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has set his focus on wooing backward classes almost six months ago.

Although, the BCs are nearly 40-45% of the state’s population, they are playing a key role in politics only in a few districts. The Godavari districts, considered to be Kapu strongholds, have sizeable BC population. To consolidate the BC support, YSRC has also fielded a BC candidate in Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency, which has always been in the lap of upper caste communities.

By giving three Lok Sabha tickets to BCs in the Reddy stronghold of Rayalaseema, Jagan has made a calculated gamble against TDP and Janasena.

The party fielded Dr Sanjeev Kumar, a weaver from Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, Talari Rangaiah from Anantapur and Gorantla Madhav, Yadav by caste, from Hindupur Lok Sabha constituencies.

“Party president Jagan has given highest number of seats to the BCs. People from all backward classes communities should support our party without falling into TDP’s trap,” said Janga Krishna Murthy, MLA and YSRC BC cell chairman.

YSRC has not ignored Kapu community--it has granted nearly 31 seats to the numerically strong community in the state. YSRC has also increased representation to all communities as it gave five seats to Muslims and three seats each to Vysya and Brahmin communities. “Any political party giving five assembly seats to Muslims is a record. YSRC gave four tickets to Muslims in 2014 and increased it to five in the present list. It shows the eagerness of our leader to empower the Muslim minorities,” said Md Iqbal, former Inspector General of Police and Hindupur candidate.

He said TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu allotted only one seat, that too, a losing seat to Muslims in the last election for fear of BJP. “TDP is making false allegations against our party on having a secret pact with BJP. The allocation of five seats to Muslims, three seats each to Brahmins and Vysyas shows that our party is working for the welfare of all,” said Iqbal.

However, the Reddys continue to call the shots in YSRC as they bagged 48 seats of the total unreserved seats.