Kutami’s game plan brings Reddys, Kammas closer
The Reddys and Kammas are the dominant castes in politics, and rivals. In political circles, the Congress is branded a ‘Reddy party’ and the Telugu Desam a ‘Kamma party’.
The ongoing elections have, for the first time ever, seen the two parties join hands, and how the Reddy-Kamma combination will work is being keenly watched.
The main question being asked is whether the Reddy vote of the Congress will transfer to the TD, and the Kamma votes to the Congress. After TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao became the Chief Minister, the Velama community has also got prominence in politics.
According to an estimate, 32 per cent of the TS population comprises Reddys, Kammas 16 per cent and the Velamas less than 5 per cent.
Mathematically, the Reddy+Kamma should be a winning combination but in politics one plus one may become zero. The TRS has given 36 seats to the Reddy community and six to the Kammas. The Congress has given 35 seats to the Reddy community and none to the Kammas. The Congress had appointed a leader from the Kammas as TPCC working president.
In AP, caste and cash play a major role in politics and elections but not quite as much in TS.
The TRS also has prominent
THE SRI KRISHNA COMMITTEE which has given report for the selection of AP capital had said “Caste is an important factor in the political history of Andhra Pradesh and remains critical for political mobilisation; most scholars have pointed out the hegemony of the Reddy and Kamma castes”.
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Reddy and Kamma leaders. To check the Congress, the TRS had given importance to these both communities in the selection of candidates for the December 7 elections.
Generally, no community votes en-block for a particular party. A senior leader said the Kamma voters prefer candidates of their community irrespective of the political parties they belong to, while casting their vote. Only if there are no candidates from the community will they consider the merits of the political party before voting.
Telugu Desam politburo member and former MP Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy said, “Every vote of the Telugu Desam will transfer to the Mahakutami candidates; there should be no doubt regarding this.”
A senior politician said that in the undivided state, the Reddy and Kamma communities had played a key role in politics, but the situation had changed after formation of Telangana state.
In undivided AP, there were several MPs belonging to the Kamma community
who were elected from the Congress. There was an allegation within the Congress that these MPs had a soft corner towards AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The main caste factor that matters in Telangana state is the Backward Classes. Given their numbers, they will play a key role in deciding the fate of any political party. The BC community held TD founder N.T. Rama Rao in high esteem as he provided them with reservations in local body elections and removed the Patel and Patwari system in Telangana.
The decision paved the way for the growth of the BCs in politics. The community has always sailed with the TD but Mr Chandrasekhar Rao has done a lot for the welfare of the BC communities.
The Mahakutami has a lot of expectations on the Reddy-Kamma combination which Mr Chandrasekhar Rao is trying to break. How well the formula holds, and how much the TRS has succeeded will be known on December 11, results day.