Anticipating TDP-Jana Sena tie-up, YSRCP makes moves to consolidate Backward Class support

The YSRCP convenes a meeting of representatives from backward classes. The TDP counters with a hashtag campaign, 'BCDrohiJagan.'

BySNV Sudhir

Published Oct 28, 2022 | 5:48 PM ⚊UpdatedOct 28, 2022 | 5:48 PM

YSRCP BC meeting

YSRCP general secretary V Vijaysai Reddy has a word with AP Assembly speaker Tammineni Seetaram, minister Botsa Satyanarayana at the party BC meeting held recently. (Supplied)

The ruling YSRCP is going all out to woo the Backward Class (BC) communities in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the 2024 state and national polls, even as the TDP launched a hashtag campaign to counter the ruling party.

Recent political developments in the state have prompted the YSRCP to make immediate efforts to consolidate its BC vote share, though the election is still 19 months away.

The BCs, which include around 143 different caste groups, comprise around 37 percent of the state’s population of approximately 4.98 crore.

The rival political parties know that the BCs could influence the election outcome, and they are pulling out all stops to consolidate their respective vote banks and further expand their base among the communities.

A majority of the 143 caste groups were traditionally aligned with the TDP, ever since NT Rama Rao founded the party in 1982.

YSRCP’s BC support in 2019

The 2019 poll outcome, however, revealed that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP had breached the TDP base and secured the support of the BCs. The YSRCP won 151 seats in the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

After assuming power, Jagan constituted around 56 corporations for different BC castes and installed party loyalists as their chairpersons and members.

The setting up of more than 50 corporations has been seen as an attempt to create “opinion makers” among the backward groups, and help them assert their caste identity.

The TDP has often criticised these corporations, terming them “ornamental”, meant to deceive the backward classes. The real power, the Opposition party, said, has been resting with the powerful Reddys in the YSRCP.

YSRCP BC leaders

YSRCP BC leaders at the meeting held recently. (Supplied)

At a meeting of representatives from the backward classes on Wednesday, 26 October, it was decided to hold meetings in all 26 districts in the coming days to explain and showcase the “good” done by the YSRCP government.

Rajya Sabha member V Vijaisai Reddy, in charge of all YSRCP affiliates, chaired the meeting. It is believed that the 18 October meeting between TDP’s N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan prompted the YSRCP to convene the meeting.

Counter to TDP-Jana Sena

“With the fast-changing political dynamics in the state, there is a general feeling among the YSRCP leadership that the Jana Sena and the TDP will enter into a pre-poll alliance. Since Pawan Kalyan hails from the influential and numerically strong Kapu community, voters from that community may favour the TDP-led alliance,” a political analyst said.

“This could be the reason why the YSRCP has launched efforts so early for a total consolidation of the backward class votes. The TDP has launched efforts probably to regain the confidence of the backward classes. It has to be seen which party will be successful in wooing them,” he told South First, requesting anonymity.

Related: BJP in no mood to placate Pawan Kalyan and Jana Sena

Jagan’s experiments

Jagan’s announcement that he cannot push for reservation for Kapus since it was in the Centre’s realm made many believe that he was still a novice in politics. Addressing a meeting, Jagan said he would not make any promises that can’t be met. The meeting was in July 2018, a year ahead of the general election.

Later, it became clear that Jagan’s was a deft move to polarise and consolidate the BC votes that traditionally went to the TDP kitty.

Though he invited the Kapus’ anger, Jagan made it clear that he was not against reservation for them which would not be inconveniencing the BCs.

The backward classes have been opposing providing reservation to Kapus. They protested when the then TDP government passed a Bill in the Assembly. The Bill included Kapus in Category F of the backward classes list, and provided them with five percent reservation in 2017. Kapus comprise 15 percent of the total population.

Jagan pulled off a surprise in 2019 by fielding Margani Bharat, a leader from the backward community, in the Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency. Though backward classes form the majority of the voters in this segment, no other party had fielded a candidate from the community.

The YSRC’s move was a calculated one. It had anticipated that fielding a candidate from backward community would have a favourable impact in all other constituencies with a significant backward-class population.

After assuming power, Jagan maintained the caste balance. Many leaders from the backward communities were included in the Cabinet. Besides offering them general seats, he also nominated some of them as mayors and chairpersons in civic bodies.

Related: Jagan tells people to beware of backstabbers and chameleons

TDP intensifies ‘BCDrohiJagan’ campaign

Jagan’s move did not go unnoticed. The Opposition TDP started efforts to effectively counter the YSRCP narrative and launched a hashtag campaign, “BCDrohiJagan”, on social media platforms, besides targeting the ruling party leaders.

“Chief Minister Jagan is claiming that several nominated posts were given to BCs. But who is bossing over them? Can any minister take decisions independently,” TDP senior leader and former minister Kollu Ravindra asked.

He added that no leader from the backward communities could function independently. Ravindra asked the ruling party to release a white paper on welfare measures it had initiated for the backward communities.

“The TDP had implemented various schemes to impart better education to BCs but after the YSRCP came to power, all the schemes, including the funding for higher education abroad, have been withdrawn. BCs who have self-respect will teach a fitting lesson to Jagan when the time comes,” Ravindra added.

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