TDP cosying up to Kapus

Telugu Desam Party is making all-out efforts to woo the Kapu community, which constitutes a major force in the East and West Godavari districts. The party, which has thrown open its doors to all the Kapu leaders who had quit the party and joined PRP before 2009 elections, on Wednesday, appointed senior Kapu leader and former minister Metla Satyanarayana as the Vice President of the party.

Satyanarayana has been a close associate of the former Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi and was a minister in Chandrababu Naidu’s government. He was elected as an MLA from Amalapuram assembly constituency in East Godavari district. Satyanaryana had joined the TDP in 2010.

The TDP feels that it could make a huge dent in the poll prospects of its nearest rival the YSRCP if Kapus decide to back them. The Kapu community accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the vote bank in East and West Godavari districts.

After PRP merged with Congress, the community was maintaining distance from all political parties. Naidu has been making serious efforts to strengthen the party. Sources said that Naidu will soon hold a crucial meeting with the party leaders of the two districts to prepare a strategy to consolidate vote bank.