The Hindu : Parties try to balance caste equation in Bandar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 03, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Parties try to balance caste equation in Bandar

By G.V. Ramana Rao

VIJAYAWADA, MARCH. 2. The caste factor is likely to have a major effect on the winning chances of candidates in Bandar Assembly constituency.

There are between 37, 000 to 40, 000 Kapu voters in the segment. Among the BCs, there are 15,000 to 17,000 voters belonging to the fishermen community and 13,000 to 15,000 to the Yadava community.

The Telugu Desam Party took a considerable risk in fielding Nadakuduti Narasimha Rao who belongs to the fishermen community, as its candidate to contest against the Congress party's Kapu candidate, Perni Venkataramaiah. Ambati Brahmanaiah, who represented this constituency between 1994 and 99, was fielded as the Telugu Desam candidate from the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency despite his `reluctance.'

This calculated risk was taken to keep both BCs and Kapus in good humour. Incidentally, the Congress pitted former MP, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, from Machilipatnam Lok Sabha seat against Mr. Brahmanaiah. The Congress fielding a Kamma for the Lok Sabha seat and a Kapu for the Assembly misfired as the BC vote went in favour of the TDP en bloc.

The situation in the segment is now fluid again. The TDP, which is keen on fielding winning candidates may want to make changes. The possibility of fielding Mr. Brahmanaiah from the Bandar Assembly constituency to balance the Kapu community factor cannot be completely ruled out. Thus the political fates of Mr. Brahmanaiah and Mr. Narasimha Rao have become intimately tied up with one another.

"If the TDP leadership thinks that a Kapu will win from Bandar Assembly constituency, Mr. Brahmanaiah stands a fair chance of securing the party ticket. And, if they want to continue with a BC candidate, the Minister will be considered,'' says a senior party functionary.

Incidentally, Mr. Narasimha Rao faces a minor threat from the BC leader, Konkalla Narayana, who is aspiring for the party ticket this time. Mr. Narayana quit the Congress and joined the TDP as he was denied a ticket by the former in the last elections. The Machilipatnam Municipal Chairperson, Bacchula Arjunudu, an ardent follower of Mr. Brahmanaiah, is also aspiring for the TDP ticket.

There is a long list of aspirants in the Congress party too. Valisetti Venkateswara Rao, a Kapu leader, has thrown his hat into the ring with the support of his friend, Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, son of the slain MLA, Mohana Ranga Rao.

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