Caste has always played a vital role in the State politics and time and again various castes have determined the rulers. And as the elections are fast approaching and political parties are vying with each other to make their places secure, caste has once again emerged as the key player.
The long-drawn cold war between Kapus and Kammas in the coastal Andhra is set to flare up all over again with the entry of Vijayawada (East) MLA Vangaveeti Radhakrishna into the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) last week.
Radhakrishna’s entry into PRP came as booster for its president Chiranjeevi. For, it is expected to result in caste polarisation in coastal Andhra, particularly in Krishna and Guntur districts which would definitely benefit the PRP.
Radhakrishna, who belongs to Kapu community, has been virtually waging a war with Kamma leaders in Krishna district, though both the communities have been backing the Congress party. In fact, the Kapu-Kamma rivalry dates back to several decades and it reached a climax with the murder of Radhakrishna’s father Vangaveeti Ranga exactly two decades ago. Ranga was the most revered leader for Kapus and backward communities in the coastal Andhra and one can find his statues in several villages as mark of respect.
Ranga was in the Congress at the time of his murder and that obviously took a political colour since Kammas were the backbone of the Telugu Desam (TD) at that time. However, in the last one decade, political equations changed rapidly as Kammas have also started backing the Congress.
One of the prime accused in the murder case, Devineni Rajasekhar, who was in the TD, later joined the Congress. Prominent Kammas among others who entered the Congress include former Union minister P Upendra, Vijaywada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and Daggubati couple.
Yet, the Kapu-Kamma rivalry continued in the coastal Andhra. While Kapus and their associated backward classes, which constitute nearly 25 per cent of the total population of the State, did not get political power, Kammas continued to dominate the politics in coastal Andhra irrespective of whether it was the TD or the Congress in power. Radha has been trying to counter this dominance of Kammas in the region, particularly Lagadapati and Devineni groups.
He started wooing Dalits and other weaker sections by offering them various facilities, participating in community dinners, spending nights in the residences of Dalits and taking bath in Dalit colonies.
Simultaneously, Radhakrishna never lost an opportunity to oppose the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government granting favours to Kamma leaders. He even threatened to resign from the Congress in protest against allotment of prime land to Deveneni Nehru at Banjara Hills. He also opposed allotment of Wakf lands to Lagadapati’s Lanco Hills in the city.
But with the government pampering Kammas in the region, Radhakrishna has started playing behind-the-screen role for Chiranjeevi’s PRP. Being a close associate of Chiranjeevi’s brother Pavan Kalyan, Radhakrishna has been funding their fan clubs for quite some time. He is said to be the brain behind Pavan Kalyan’s proposal for establishment of a "Common Man’s Protection Force." Now, he officially joined the PRP.
Analysts say Radhakrishna is going to bring about a major shift in Kapu and other BC voters in favour of the PRP. And he has already started his campaign. That would be a major blow not only to the Congress, but also to the TD, which is desperately seeking the support of BCs, apart from Kammas. So, it would be an interesting battle in the coming days
