SRIKAKULAM: With the announcement of TDP senior leader Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, who hails from Regidi mandal in Srikakulam district, as a candidate for Cheepurupalli Assembly segment in Vizianagaram district, the Turupu Kapu community is fearing losing their representation in the district.
The leaders of the Turpu Kapu community believe that Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, who hails from Polinati Velama community, played a key role in swapping Venkata Rao with BJP leader N Eswararao, who hails from Kamma community in Etcherla Assembly segment.
Additionally, former Pathapatnam MLA and TDP in-charge Kalamata Venkata Ramana alleged that Atchannaidu played a crucial role in allotting his seat to Mamidi Govinda Rao.
Losing two prominent leaders’ representation in the ensuing elections has triggered panic in the Turpu Kapu community.
It may be pointed out that Turupu Kapu, Velama and Kalinga communities have been playing a crucial role in deciding the luck of both ruling and opposition parties in Srikakulam district for the past five decades.
Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu and Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, who have their roots from Velama and Turpu Kapu communities respectively, have been instrumental in carrying the yellow party flag since its inception.
After the sudden demise of Yerran Naidu, his younger brother Atchannaidu carried the mantle and has been actively taking part in party activities.
Even though the TDP has been giving equal importance to both the communities by making Kala Venkata Rao TDP State president from 2014 to 2019 and Atchannaidu the party State president after the 2019 elections, there has been an internal strife between Velama and Turpu Kapus backed by Kinjarapu and Kimidi families respectively for political supremacy in Srikakulam district for the past few decades.
It is worth noting that Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao had joined the Praja Rajyam Party in the backdrop of the Kapu agitation before the 2009 elections and returned to the TDP-fold after the elections.
On the other hand, though Mamidi Govinda Rao also belongs to the Turpu Kapu community, Kalamata Venkata Ramana garnered the community’s support as a senior leader.
Venkata Ramana, whose father Mohan Rao was four-time TDP MLA of the Pathapatnam Assembly segment, was elected as MLA under YSRC flag in the 2014 elections and later joined TDP in 2018.