Caste vote set to split in Vijayawada, Masula LS seats

Major parties field candidates from same caste

The major political parties have wittingly or unwittingly fielded candidates of the same caste in several of the Assembly segments in Vijayawada and Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituencies. This will inevitably lead to the splitting of the votes .

Congress, Telugu Desam and YSR Congress have fielded ‘Kamma’ candidates in the Vijayawada Lok Sabha Constituency. Though ‘Kammas’ do not have the numerical strength they are rich and influential in the constituency. All major parties have been fielding mostly ‘Kammas’ candidates for the past two decades for the LS seat. The voters too have elected them to the Lok Sabha for want of choice.

The YSR Congress has fielded BC candidate Kolusu Parthasarathy to contest against sitting MP and BC leader Konakalla Narayana. The Congress party is still scouting for a candidate that would fit into the scheme of things.

All three major parties are fielding ‘Kammas’ in Gudivada and ‘Kapus’ in Avanigadda assembly segments of Machilipatnam Lok Sabha Constituency.

The Kamma candidates are highest in number in the unreserved assembly segments of Vijayawada Lok Sabha Constituency. Except in Vijayawada West Assembly segment where the fight is between a Vysya, Muslim and a Kapu there are ‘Kammas’ in fray in all the other segments. In Vijayawada East segment Devineni Rajasekhar will be pitted against a ‘Kamma’ candidate being fielded by TDP and the YSR Congress candidate Vangaveeti Radhakrishna.

Mr. Radhakrishna is the son of former MLA Chennupati Ratnakumari who was elected once on Congress ticket and once on Telugu Desam ticket.

TDP may gain in two segments

She even accompanied her son to file the nomination papers. As the son of slain kapu leader Mohana Ranga Rao, Mr. Radhakrishna, has the advantage of being close to both Kamma and Kapu communities and will therefore split votes from both the communities.

Both Congress and YSRC have fielded kapu candidates in Machilipatnam and Pedana assembly segments of Machilipatnam Lok Sabha, because the community has numerical strength.

The Telugu Desam which has fielded BCs may benefit from the splitting of kapu votes. ‘Kamma’ candidates are pitted against kapu candidates in just Gannavaram and Jaggaiapet assembly segments.

The non-Kapu candidate many benefit because the Kapus neither have the numerical or political strength in these segments.