As the election campaign intensifies in Telangana ahead of the November 30 polling, major political parties in the state are strategically appealing to caste groups to garner last-minute support.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is relying on the Backward Classes and Madiga sub-group, pledging an OBC chief minister and the categorization of SC reservations.
Meanwhile, the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) are actively courting upper castes and minorities, as well as sections of the OBCs and Scheduled Tribes.
An open secret is the support of the Reddy community for the Congress party, led by PCC chief A Revanth Reddy, as they seek to regain influence lost during the dominance of the Velama community, represented by BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, over the past decade.
The Reddys, facing a do-or-die situation, are rallying behind the Congress, with leaders from the Rayalaseema region convening in Hyderabad to express solidarity and openly appeal to Reddy voters to support Revanth Reddy, likely the Congress's chief ministerial candidate.
This development has caused a dilemma within the Kamma community.
Previous speculation suggested Kamma voters would support Revanth Reddy due to his close ties with Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu. Reports even suggested that the TDP might not contest the Telangana assembly elections to indirectly support Revanth Reddy.
However, with the Reddys of Rayalaseema backing Revanth Reddy, Kammas are reconsidering their stance.
In an effort to counter the consolidation of Reddy voters, the BRS leadership engaged in discussions with Kamma groups.
Allegedly, KCR assured the Kammas that he would not support Jagan in Andhra elections and would safeguard their financial interests in Telangana if they supported him.
KCR emphasized the potential threat of Revanth Reddy, asserting that he might exploit the support of Rayalaseema Reddys to suppress the interests of the Kamma community.
He suggested that Revanth's primary goal is to attain power, and his allegiance to Naidu is secondary. Consequently, the BRS, representing the neutral Velama community, emerges as a more favorable option for the Kammas.
In the coming days, Telangana politics is poised for intriguing developments, potentially showcasing a Reddy vs Kamma rivalry akin to that observed in Andhra Pradesh.
