Visakhapatnam: Kapu community lays a new roadmap

Visakhapatnam: The frequent meetings of the top leaders belonging to the Kapu community have increased the curiosity among the political circles.

The leaders who had earlier met in Hyderabad recently gathered again here.

Along with TDP Visakhapatnam North Constituency MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, the gathering also witnessed retired IAS, IPS and IRS officers. Former DGP N Samba Siva Rao, former Tamil Nadu chief secretary Ram Mohan Rao, TDP leader Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, entrepreneurs and community leaders met and discussed various topics that continue to bog them.

However, it is learnt that some of the senior Kapu leaders in the district did not receive an invite to the last meeting.

Among others, the discussions included Kapu reservation and priorities accorded to the community both in the previous TDP government and the current YSRCP government.

Through the launch of Forum for Better AP, the leaders intend to take the Kapu community way forward financially, politically and socially, garnering support from all sectors and communities.

In order to exert pressure on the state government and come up with an action plan, the community leaders decided to form district-wise committees across the state.

Despite the larger presence of the community, the Kapu leaders expressed concern over lack of political growth in the state.

Be it Praja Rajyam Party founder K Chiranjeevi or the actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, how far their support extended to the parties turned out to be, is a big question mark.

While the TDP claims that the party has the support of both Kapus and BCs, the ruling party is also under similar impression as well. Given the plum posts in the corporation, the YSRCP government is of the strong belief that they garner unconditional support of the BCs.

However, despite being a mega star, Chiranjeevi could bag only 18 seats in the 2009 general elections.

Having come from the same family, community and film industry, Pawan Kalyan could not win either in Gajuwaka or Bhimavaram constituencies from where he had contested during the last elections.

Keeping the political progress in view, whether the community leaders would extend support to the existing parties or initiate a new movement altogether to break the shackles has to be seen.

With Ganta Srinivasa Rao not being politically active for quite a while and his earlier trials of teaming up with the YSRCP turning out to be futile, the scope of considering JSP as the next option cannot be completely ruled out, assume experts.