LS polls: Cash of 2 BC groups, Valmikis and Kuruvas, in Kurnool
The BC communities constitute more than 30 pc of voters in Kurnool constituency
The ruling Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress' choice of candidate in the name of social justice for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls has put the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in a tricky situation in the crucial parliamentary constituency of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
Two backward class community leaders are all set to clash this time in Kurnool parliamentary constituency, which has thrown up CMs and Union ministers in the past.
In 2014 and 2019, the TDP had fielded BT Naidu from the Boya Valmiki community from Kurnool, but on both occasions, he lost to the YSRCP. This time, the TDP is fielding a candidate from the Kuruva community, Bastipadu Nagaraju (Panchalingala Nagaraju).
What's new this tme
However, this time, BY Ramaiah, the YSRCP candidate, hails from the influential Boya Valmiki community. He served as Kurnool mayor and has stepped down from the post to contest the LS polls.
Ramaiah's candidacy is considered to be strategic, by political analysts, as the ruling party aims to secure votes by leveraging both his community influence and his dedicated services to the city as mayor.
TDP is fighting the elections with Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena and the BJP, having rejoined the National Democratic Alliance.
Kurnool parliamentary constituency
The backward class communities constitute more than 30 per cent of the voters in the Kurnool parliamentary constituency. They mainly belong to the Kuruba and Valmiki social groups, who have always managed to influence election results in Kurnool district.
The Kurnool constituency includes seven assembly segments like Adoni, Aluru, Emmiganur, Kurnool, Kodumur (SC), Pattikonda and Mantralayam and has approximately 20 lakh voters.
A Kuruba community member has got the ticket for the first time from here. Earlier, the two MPs belonged to the Valmiki community. The sitting MP Sanjeev Kumar recently quit YSRCP and joined the TDP.
Who is Bastipadu Nagaraju, TDP candidate?
Bastipadu Nagaraju hails from Panchalingala village in Kurnool rural mandal.
In an interview, Nagaraju said, "I have done MSc and B Ed and worked as a contract lecturer for three years in a government girls college."
"The satisfaction of teaching children is different. But the thought of doing social service made me resign from my job and enter politics as an Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency member," he said. Further, he said that he joined TDP as an ordinary worker and was selected as a member of the BC Empowered Rashtra Samithi. It is here his performance was noticed and his political career grew.
The Kurnool constituency has sent political leaders like Usman Ali Khan (1957, Congress), former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy (Congress), Erasu Ayyapureddy (TDP), and Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy (TDP) to the Parliament.
YSRCP's strategic move
Jagan seems to have ensured to mobilise all the social groups while deciding the candidate for the Kurnool MP post. It seems that a very subtle move has been made while selecting the candidate so that the voters of BC, OC, minority and Dalit communities are not divided. While the TDP has not been able to mobilise all the social groups in its choice, said political observers.
The battle in Kurnool parliament seat is all set to be fought between two BC castes. In the seven assembly segments, Valmikis and Kurabas comprise the majority of voters.
Due to this, the main parties are fielding candidates from both social groups. In the final analysis, it boils down to TDP candidate B Nagaraju from Kuruba community will face YSRCP candidate BV Ramaiah from the Valmiki community.
Neutral voters like the Reddys and the Kammas from other BC categories are also likely to impact the outcome in this constituency.
