Mood of Andhra Pradesh-2 -Caste polarisation to decide AP politics 

TDP has new hope in changing caste dynamics 

YSRCP depends on downtrodden sections 

Patibandla Srinivas 

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Amaravati: Caste polarisation always plays an important role in any election. Even the political parties offer several sops to the public but caste polarisation decides the future government. Surprisingly, caste polarisation can dominate the good administration also.

Recent Telangana Assembly elections once again proved the theory in Congress victory. The people of Telangana expressed satisfaction at KCR’s administration but majority castes polarised to support Congress for various reasons. Especially Reddy, Kamma and Minorities extended massive support in majority parts of state except Hyderabad. Where the Congress leadership is in good position, all the majority castes came back to Congress one-sidedly.

Now the debate is on in Andhra Pradesh elections too. Indeed, the ruling YSR Congress party made caste-based politics right from the beginning. The people of minorities, SC and ST sections rallied behind the party during the launching.

Later, the majority of people in remaining castes also extended support to YSR Congress party in 2019 elections. Interestingly, 40 per cent of the Kamma community supported the YSR Congress. As a result, YSR Congress got a landslide victory.

As per the surveys and studies, the situation has reversed in the present political condition. The Reddy community not only had totally extended its support but also provided financial help to YSR Congress. But now the Reddy community is in much displeasure though the State government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has given the members of the community over 1,000 positions in various government and non-government organisations. Originally the community depended on various kinds of businesses along with politics.  During the last five years, the community has lost the scope to continue business operations in the state. Moreover, the people of the community compared the present government with the late YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s, when they got huge benefits financially in various sectors.

Now some percentage of the community is ready to support opposition parties as per the ground reports. They are giving clear cut indications that they would not do any poll management or grass root level election work in the forthcoming elections for the YSR Congress party.

Similarly, Kamma voters who have cast their vote for YSR Congress almost changed their mind following the developments especially government policies in the last four and a half years. Moreover, the situation changed that the people of the community are ready to extend their all-possible support for Telugu Desam as part of changing trends. There is clear change visible in the two dominant communities in the state. Apart from this, there is a slight difference in the minorities and SC, ST people compared with last elections. 

A sizable section of people in minorities believe that the YSR Congress government is extending support to the BJP-led NDA government. The minorities may withdraw their support in the changing political situation. On the other hand, BCs who had been staunch supporters of TDP had backed YSR Congress in the last elections. Now there is a visible change in them towards TDP.

Likewise, the Kapu community is also rallying to extend support to TDP and Jana Sena alliance. Young people in the community have mad love for Pawan Kalyan while traditional TDP voters and aged people in the community are wishing Chandrababu Naidu’s rule again.

TDP HRD member Vasanta Satyanarayana said that caste polarisation will play a dominant role in the forthcoming election results. He pointed out that caste polarisation changed the election results in Telangana.