Purandeshwari's Strategic Moves Shake Andhra Pradesh's Political Landscape

 Purandeshwari's Strategic Moves Shake Andhra Pradesh's Political Landscape

There is a growing buzz in Andhra Pradesh's political circles as everyone wonders about Purandeshwari's current target. Is she aiming for Jagan or Chandrababu? The question lingers in the minds of many.

In the realm of parliamentary representative democratic politics, caste affiliations play a significant role, and this influence is quite pronounced in Andhra Pradesh's political landscape. Political leaders actively seek support from specific caste groups while also attempting to appease others. However, no single community can be termed as the absolute loyalists of any particular political party. While a significant portion of any community supports one party, a smaller fraction remains loyal to various other parties. It should be noted that political parties rely on a broad base of supporters, rather than being solely dependent on a particular social group.

In the Reddy community, a substantial majority supports the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), while a smaller section provides backing to other opposition parties, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Similarly, a significant portion of the Kamma community aligns with the prime opposition party, the TDP, while another small segment extends support to various other parties, including the YSRCP. These two major social groups, along with their respective parties, hold considerable influence in the state's political arena.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategically targeted the third major social group, the Kapus, to expand its voter base. Since the formation of the new state, the BJP's leadership position has been held by leaders from the Kapu community, namely Kanna Lakshminarayana and Somu Veerraju.

In a recent cabinet reshuffle, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy allocated more positions to members from the Reddy and Kapu communities. However, the current Jagan cabinet lacks representation from the Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya communities, collectively referred to as 'upper Varnas'. Additionally, there is no representation for the Kamma community, which is a major agrarian caste.

Considering that a large section of the Reddy community already supports Jagan, he is now focusing on attracting a significant number of voters from the Kapu community to ensure victory in the upcoming elections.

A considerable portion of the Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya communities leans towards the BJP, while the other protion aligns with various other parties. In the last elections, most of the Muslim, Christian, Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Scheduled Caste (SC) social groups voted for YSRCP, with Jagan's Christian minority perspective playing a role in this support.

The Backward Categories (BCs), constituting nearly half of the state's total population, lend equal support to both the ruling and main opposition parties. Currently, the Congress, CPM, CPI, and BSP do not have a fixed vote bank in the state.

Pawan Kalyan, the chief of Jana Sena party (JSP), who had a limited impact in the last election, is gaining more support this time. He mainly appeals to the Kapu social class and repeatedly mentions that he is following the 'road map' designed by the BJP. Pawan Kalyan has been emphasizing a potential alliance between Janasena, BJP, and TDP in the next elections to prevent the anti-Jagan vote bank from splitting.

Since assuming her new post, Purandeshwari has been targeting Chief Minister Jagan, confirming the BJP's alliance with Jana Sena, but remaining ambiguous about including TDP Chandrababu. Her criticism includes Chandrababu's mishandling of the state's reorganization Act, which has the potential to politically embarrass him.

The BJP strategists aim to mobilize the Kamma community, as Pawan Kalyan focuses on rallying the Kapu community. As part of this approach, Purandeshwari, a member of the Kamma community and daughter of late NT Rama Rao, the founder of TDP, was fielded. The strained relationship between the families of Daggubati and Chandrababu also plays a role in her selection.

Jagan has been fully supporting the BJP in both houses of the Parliament, despite winning 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the last elections and having 12 members in the Rajya Sabha. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also criticized Jagan's administration during his recent visit to Visakhapatnam, and Purandeshwari further reinforces these accusations.

Though the BJP makes accusations, the YSRCP response has been relatively mild. Botsa Satyanarayana, a senior leader, mentioned that despite some differences, they will stay with the BJP at the Centre. Jagan has apparently directed his party's MPs to maintain the alliance with the BJP in the current monsoon meetings.

The BJP hopes to secure the Kapu vote bank with Pawan Kalyan's support and erode Chandrababu's influence with Purandeshwari's tactics, aiming to win 10 to 15 Lok Sabha seats in AP. Their target is to secure 20 of the total 25 Lok Sabha seats.

Jagan's potential victories in the next parliamentary elections do not concern the BJP, as they ultimately aim to absorb his support base and become strong independently, leaving Chandrababu's vote bank vulnerable to their grasp. Danny Senior Journalist and Social Analyst Mobile : 9010757776 Written on : 28 July 2023