HYDERABAD: As it prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections, the Congress appears to be ignoring the numerically strong backwards-class Mudhiraj community. According to analysts, ignoring the community would be suicidal as they could make or mar the prospects of a party. The grand old party has not accommodated or has even given importance to the community in the party organisation, which may lead to a haemorrhage of votes in the election.
Over the years, Congress has failed to groom any Mudhiraj leader. It has not taken a serious view of nursing this constituency having the potential of yielding handsome dividends in the elections. On the other hand, the BJP which did not have a strong leader from this community, now has one after Eatala Rajender joined the party and won the Huzurabad byelection. He has considerable influence in the Mudhiraj community and might turn the tide in the BJP’s favour.
Even after watching the BJP taking care of the grey areas, the Congress State leadership as well as the high command has not focused on the need to pick up a promising leader from the community and entrust him or her with some responsibility in the party.
Struggling veterans
The Congress’ other Achilles heel is the lack of a powerful Munnuru Kapu leader in the party. It used to have good leaders but not anymore. Now, it has only former MLC Konda Murali while other leaders, including former PCC presidents V Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Laxmaiah, are struggling with advanced age.
There are apprehensions among the native Congress leaders over the party leadership showing more interest in allotting tickets to those who arrive in the 11th hour from other parties, who are derisively called “parachute leaders.”
While this is so, the BJP and the BRS have several Munnuru Kapu leaders having a good influence on their community voters. In the BJP, there are several leaders from the community, including MPs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Dharmapuri Arvind and K Laxman.
In BRS, the list of Munnuru Kapu community leaders includes its Parliamentary party leader K Keshava Rao, Minister Gangula Kamalakar, MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, MLAs Jogu Ramanna, Danam Nagender, Vanama Venkateswar Rao, Baji Reddy Goverdhan, Jajula Surender, Korukanti Chander, ZP chairman Putta Madhu and MLC Dande Vittal.
Proportional representation
The Congress is also overlooking the importance of the Madiga community, which is numerically large in Telangana. The party has not given proper representation to it at the State level. Though former deputy chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Damodar Rajanarasimha has been around, the party leadership has not given him the importance he deserves. Except for A Sampath Kumar, who was appointed as secretary of the AICC, others have not been given any role.
Meanwhile, Madiga leaders suspect the Congress might nominate Mala candidates to most of the Assembly seats reserved for SCs. They appealed to the party leadership to allot tickets to Madigas based on their numbers. They have also threatened to damage the prospects of the party if it ignores their request.