The Andhra Pradesh politics is virtually divided on caste lines and the trend spreading even to the Telugu film industry.
The latest talk is that a section of Kamma community leaders are trying to rope in Junior NTR to protect the community interests in politics and business.
According to highly-placed sources, around 8-10 big people belonging to Kamma community had an exclusive confidential meeting with NTR recently and held discussions with him for over an hour-and-half on various issues pertaining to the community.
The Kamma leaders reportedly told NTR that there has been a consolidation of Reddys and Kapus in Andhra Pradesh politics.
The Kapu community is strongly backing Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan who is now making all efforts to polarise the community votes at least by the next elections.
Pawan hopes that by championing the cause of Kapus, he could sustain his party and win a considerable number of seats in the next elections.
In the process, he is instigating Kapus against the Reddy community which is solidly behind YSR Congress party led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
On the other hand, the Kammas in Andhra are in a pitiable condition with Jagan Mohan Reddy targeting their financial roots and decimating the TDP completely in the local body elections.
If the Kammas cannot get united and put up a strong fight, it would be the end of the TDP and the community as a whole.
Even in the Telugu film industry, the Kammas are facing a threat to their domination from the Kapu community, as is evident in the elections to Movie Artistes Association.
Manchu Vishnu, which has the backing of Kammas, is facing a stiff resistance from Prakash Raj, being supported by Kapus. There is a talk that if Prakash Raj wins the elections, Kammas will gradually lose hold in the film industry as well.
These two issues are learnt to have come up for discussion in the meeting of Kamma leaders with NTR. The possibility of NTR taking over the reins of the TDP has also been discussed at the meeting, sources said.
Though NTR has a strong affinity for the TDP as it was established by his grandfather senior NTR, he has been keeping away from the party as he is upset with present TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for using him in the 2009 elections and dumping him later.
Even when his own sister contested the assembly elections in Telangana, NTR did not campaign for her.
Now, the TDP is desperately in need of NTR’s services, as the party is in a miserable state. So, the Kamma leaders reportedly asked NTR to consider returning to the party fold.
But one wonders who has forced these community leaders to have a meeting with NTR. Though there are no instances of NTR running any caste-based activities, there is no surprise if he has any affinity with his own caste.
Moreover, NTR, too, has been observing how the Kamma community is subject to harassment in Andhra Pradesh. That is perhaps why he has agreed to meet the Kamma leaders, who convinced him about the need to consolidate the community.
“There is nobody behind this meeting. A section of Kamma leaders, who are bearing the brunt of the Jagan government, might have taken the initiative voluntarily to have a meeting with NTR,” sources said.
So far, NTR has been keeping away from politics. Even in the film industry, he has been displaying dignity and not making any aggressive moves. He is maintaining a low-profile and down-to-earth attitude. He has complete clarity as to how to behave with whom.
Sources said this meeting was held to bring NTR closer to the TDP, as there is a clamour within the party about the need to bring him back into active politics. Even seniors like Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary demanded that NTR be brought back into the TDP.
Though NTR has been maintaining silence, the Kamma leaders are making efforts to convince him.
It is not immediately known whether the meeting of Kamma leaders with NTR was aimed at bringing about a patch-up between him and Chandrababu Naidu or to promote him by fogging out Naidu.
There is a talk that even if NTR changes his mind and takes active role in the TDP, it might not help him politically in any manner.
Everybody knows what is going to happen – Naidu will come back to power and promote his son Nara Lokesh. And NTR will be used for elections and thrown later.
The Kamma leaders are said to be under the impression that if the TDP has to get back its glory, NTR should take over the party reins and Naidu should be sidelined.
So, the question is whether the Kamma community will use NTR to bring Naidu to power again or fog out Naidu to promote NTR.
The bottomline is that Kamma leaders are preferring NTR to Chandrababu Naidu to bring back the TDP to power. But unlike in the past, NTR is not a man in hurry and he will not get carried away so easily with such lobbying by the community leaders.
But if he really shows interest and makes a serious entry into the politics, it is going to be the end of the road for Naidu completely.
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