Frantic efforts are underway behind the scenes to eke out some sort of an alliance between YSRCP and the Jana Sena. But the final stumbling block can well prove to be YS Jagan Mohan Reddy himself.
Post-bifurcation, the Kapu community which is the largest in Andhra Pradesh now voted for the TDP thanks to the campaigning by Pawan Kalyan.
It resulted in the 2% vote-share difference between TDP/BJP combine and the YSRCP ultimately elevating Naidu to the post of CM.
One would have thought that given the debacle in 2014, YS Jagan would make all-out efforts to woo the Kapu community. The reality however seem to be completely different.
YS Jagan believes that the Kapus who voted for the TDP in 2014 will sail with Jana Sena now and as such, he does not feel the need to make any special overtures to them.
In fact, he had also ruled out providing reservation to them saying it did not come within the scope of the State government.
Meanwhile, the BCs who are vehemently opposed to reservations for Kapus are delighted with YS Jagan’s announcement and all set to back the YSRCP to the hilt.
The YSRCP drew a blank in the Godavari districts, the stronghold of the Kapus in 2014 and yet, YS Jagan is more than confident that anti-incumbency, the disastrous administration of the TDP and the BCs and other forward castes, notable the Brahmins, Vaishyas and Rajus who sailed with the TDP in 2014 and who are now firmly behind him, are enough to catapult him to the CM’s chair.
Will Jagan stand vindicated in his decision? We shall know in 2019.
