Congress woos Kapus with OBC quota

​Vijayawada: The Congress party, which set its eyes to win the support of Kapu community in Andhra Pradesh, has announced that party president Sonia Gandhi declared her support to Kapu reservation issue.

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh openly assured Kapu leaders that the Congress party has committed to fight for the cause of Kapus and include Kapus in the OBC list without disturbing the configuration OBC quota if the party comes to power at the Centre in the next elections.

Congress party held a meeting with Kapu leaders at a hotel in Vijayawada on Tuesday to convey the message of AICC president Sonia Gandhi on the Kapu reservation.

The party is strategically taking up Kapu reservation issue and Special Category issue, which are burning issues now in the State, to reach people from grass-root level.

The party top leaders feel that the YSRCP was hesitating to openly support for the cause of Kapu reservation as it fears that it may lose the support of BC community.

State party affairs incharge Digvijay Singh stressed the need for cooperation between Kapus and Congress party which would be beneficial to both sides. He said the Congress party knew the “strength” and “power” of Kapus and announced that they would work together to regain power in the state.

Digvijay Singh and state party leaders strived hard to persuade Kapu leaders that the support of a national party was compulsory to get accord of Parliament for passing bill on Kapu reservation.

The AICC leader said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who came to power with the support of Kapu votes and used Pawan Kalyan as a tool, is now deceiving Kapus and ignoring the reservations issue.

He said Chandrababu Naidu was enjoying the fruits of power alone ignoring the contribution of Kapus and hinted that Pawan Kalyan should act wise in this case.

He condemned the government action of registering cases against hundreds of leaders of Kapu community and arrest of former Minister Mudragadda Padmanabham during the agitating for Kapu reservations. Recalling the assassination of renowned Kapu leader Vangaveeti Mohan Ranga, Digvijay said TDP was anti-Kapu from the beginning.

Senor leader and MLC C Ramchandraiah said main demand of Kapus was including the community into BC category, not financial sops. He said that the state government would stonewall the issue till next elections and create legal hurdles by provoking BC leaders.

Another senior leader said, “Congress was the only party to support Kapus reservation issue openly and they should support the party.” Digvijay Singh on Tuesday has also held two meetings with Muslim community leaders seeking their support in Andhra Pradesh.