Accusing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of trying to woo Kapu voters in the wake of the Kakinada Municipal Corporation elections, YSR Congress Party official spokesman Ambati Rambabu asked on Monday to state why he was not holding discussions with Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham who had been agitating on the quota issue.
Mr. Naidu held discussions only with Kapu leaders of the Telugu Desam Party in Vijayawada, he said here. Quoting Justice Manjunatha Commission as saying it was in no way connected with the inclusion of the Kapus in the BC list and the government had to decide on it, Mr. Rambabu charged the government with holding discussions with an ulterior motive. Mr. Padmanabham, who raised the quota issue, was placed under house arrest for 18 days and rowdy sheets were opened against several Kapu leaders after the Tuni violence, he alleged. The YSRCP had promised in its manifesto to extend BC reservation to Kapus and constitute a corporation by allotting ₹1,200 crore for it within six months of coming to power, Mr. Rambabu asserted.
Mr. Naidu had constituted the Kapu Corporation, promised to earmark ₹1,000 crore a year to it and assured BC quota to Kapus within six months of regaining power but the quota eluded the Kapus though three years had elapsed, he alleged.