OBC, Kapu candidates in fray for Cong reins in Andhra

The leadership's focus on Coastal-Kapu combo reflects the urgency to contain Jagan, who is moving fast to consolidate support by highlighting his father's legacy. The region being the stronghold of Reddy community makes it even more crucial to Congress strategy. With a Reddy getting chief ministership, the party is trying to win over the Kapu community, which started with megastar Chiranjeevi merging his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) with Congress.

The focus on Kapus is a novelty in the state known for the Reddy-Kamma rivalry that plays out in both Congress and Telugu Desam Party. Chiranjeevi launched PRP with a focus on Kapus.

Kapus are a strong force in the state, and the party has lately been focusing on adding the community to its entrenched Reddy-weaker sections' vote base. While the community has strands of OBC and forward groups, Andhra has lately witnessed a call for larger unity between them. Botcha is known for anti-Jagan stance, but is acceptable to Telangana for his sympathetic stance on statehood.

Next PCC chief to be from Andhra

HYDERABAD: The next president of Pradesh Congress Committee will be from the Andhra region.

The Congress high command has come to a decision on this and is� examining who, between two front runners housing minister Kanna Lakshminarayana and transport minister Botsa Satyanaryana, fits the bill better. Both belong to the Kapu community which is numerically strong in coastal districts.

The announcement on appointment of the new PCC chief is likely to be made in the next four to five days, according to sources.

Now that the decision has been taken to appoint someone from Andhra as PCC president, the deputy chief minister’s post will go to a leader from Telangana. Already, higher education minister Damodar Rajanarasimha is considered to be the party’s hot favourite for the post.

Though chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy reportedly wanted the PCC president to be from Telangana, the central leadership appears to have the interests of the party in coastal Andhra uppermost in its mind in the wake of the humiliating defeat YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had inflicted on the Congress in the by-elections and his efforts to emerge as a major threat to the Congress in Andhra and Rayalaseema.

AICC general secretary and AP Congress affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad is understood to have discussed with party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday the appointment of PCC chief, deputy chief minister and Assembly speaker, and finalisation of dates for effecting a formal merger of the PRP with the Congress. Congress leaders will discuss the matter with PRP’s C Ramachandraiah who has been asked to rush to Delhi.

Meanwhile,� Telangana MPs, who appeared to have been rattled by the violence� in Karimnagar on Wednesday, are veering to the conclusion that they should do something dramatic or they will be forced to go into political exile.

They are planning to go on an indefinite hunger strike after June 15. If the party does not respond positively even then, they will resign as a last resort.

source:-http://ibnlive.in.com/news/next-pcc-chief-to-be-from-andhra/154647-60-114.html

Photos of Balija meet@ Bangalore On 15-04-2011

Hi All

Function was grand success, huge response from our people, around 10000 people attended this function.
I would like to say spl thanks to  CM Yediyurappa coz he promised to change the category from 3A to 2A. and also promised to sanction 5Cr from GOVT if our people arranges 5Cr for Balija Bavan( Balija Samudayam).

Here we need to say hats off to Dr Jaganath Garu, Venugopal garu and Surendra Babu garu for there efforts to make this function grand success.

I have taken few snaps from my mobile same is attached. 

Thanks,
Sreenivas V

regards,
sagar kadavakollu.

BC, Kapu leaders seek ‘better’ roles

In a bid to promote more partymen from the Kapu and BC community for “leadership” roles in the party and government, some of these community leaders have decided to pressurise the AICC leadership.

They argue that a change from the “traditional” leadership of powerful castes would help the party in ensuring victory in 2014 Assembly elections.

After the Kadapa bypolls are over, they want to meet the AICC leaders, Mr Ahmed Patel and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, to put forth their demand of handing over the reins to BCs so that the Congress will have an advantage over the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress.

The main proponent of this theory is the transport minister, Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, who is supported by ministers belonging to Kapu and BC communities.

“There is no point in allowing the same powerful castes at the helm of affairs in the party. It is not going to be beneficial anymore. As a major chunk of the powerful castes have started associating with the former MP, Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, another potential caste is with the TD already. Unless the Congress gives priority to the BCs who are not promoted by any party till now, it will be difficult for the party to come to power again,” a senior minister told this newspaper.

In fact in the Kadapa bypolls, several ministers belonging to the BCs and Kapus, were sent to woo the voters of these communities.

A minister from Guntur district told this newspaper, “We found more than 90 per cent of the voters belonging to one particular community have left the Congress and joined the YSR Congress. We started talking to people from other communities who have somehow managed to work for the Congress and we were successful to large extent.”

source:-

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/bc-kapu-leaders-seek-%E2%80%98better%E2%80%99-roles-210