Kapus may forgo politicalquota to end deadlock

Amaravati: Kapus-BC reservation issue took a new turn when the legislators and senior leaders of the Kapu community put forward a new agenda of forgoing political reservations. They changed their reservation priorities from politics to education and employment sectors as they believe this move would settle the issue smoothly since BCs are opposing the reservations to Kapus fearing political implications.

Highlights:

• A section of community leaders and legislators feel this will blunt the opposition from existing BCs who fear Kapus, if added to BC list, may wrest their political posts
• Chinarajappa says for majority Kapus, education and employment are the immediate priorities

Important Kapu leaders like K Kala Venkata Rao, N China Rajappa and some other senior leaders of Godavari districts are said to be pushing the new proposal. Already, TDP Kapu leaders from Kakinada put up posters and flexis in city and other parts of the districts saying that they want reservations in education and employment but not politics.

It is assumed that BCs are mainly opposing inclusion of Kapus in BC list owing to fears that once the Kapus are included the existing BCs would lose their strength, especially those who are active in politics.

In this backdrop, Kapu leaders who are very keen to solve the issue in view of forthcoming elections, reportedly convinced some leaders in their community to forgo political quota.

Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa said in a meeting of Kapu leaders in Vijayawada on Monday that some BC leaders had apprehensions that they would lose their share in political posts in panchayat, MPTCs, ZPTCs and others if Kapus join BC list. He said they were not keen on political quotas as a majority of Kapu community wants employment and education. He also said that they would achieve their share in politics through convincing political parties like TDP.

Penchalaiah, who has educational institutions, said that the people of the community should first gain strength financially which is possible only with education and employment. Most of the leaders who attended the meeting of Kapu legislators expressed similar opinion.

Moreover, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also could get a relief from their effort as he can move swiftly to solve the long-pending issue before the Assembly elections.

One TDP legislator said the plans of former minister Mudragada Padmanabham would be countered from this aspect by the party. “The decision will help the community as well as solving the issue without hurting BCs,” he said.