VIJAYAWADA: Anticipating a possible dent in the Kapu vote share in the 2019 elections, the ruling TDP is now concentrating on damage control measures to fill the gap in case of any such eventuality. The TDP government, as promised in the 2014 elections, has set up Kapu Corporation and also sent the Bill to the Centre for providing reservation to Kapus under the BC category. Hence, the leaders of the ruling TDP are of the opinion that though the trust of Kapus in the government is intact, there is a possibility of the party losing some share of votes with actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, who sailed with the TDP in 2014, firing salvos against the TDP regime.
Despite maintaining that there will be no dent in TDP’s vote share and that Pawan Kalyan will only help in splitting opposition votes, TDP leaders are of the view that the party will have to be prepared for possible lose of seats it secured in 2014, particularly in twin Godavari districts.
Plan B: Focus on R’seema
They say that they are now focusing on attracting minorities and Dalits towards the party. The party also plans to concentrate more on Rayalaseema. Particularly after snapping ties with the BJP, the TDP leaders are of the view that the vote share of the party may increase among minorities and Dalits as the State government is taking every initiative for the welfare of the said sections.
A senior leader of the TDP told TNIE that unlike 2014 elections, where the TDP bagged 27 out of all the 34 MLA seats in the twin Godavari districts, the party might lose some seats due to the Kapu factor.
“But, at the same time, we are sure that our prospects improved to a great extent in Rayalaseema, where we performed poorly except in Anantapur district in 2014 elections,” he said and observed that as per the present political scenario they are confident of retaining power in the State.
TDP team meets Prez
In an apparent move aimed at wooing Dalits, a delegation of TDP leaders, led by Social Welfare Minister N Anand Babu, called on President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on Monday and urged him to see that the constitutional rights provided to SCs and STs shall not be infringed because of the orders of the Apex Court and see that necessary ordinance shall be promulgated in order to safeguard the rights of SCs and STs.