Kapu heavyweight politician Kanna Lakshminarayana talks to U. Sudhakar Reddy on the sidelines of the poll campaign in Guntur town. He tells film actor Pawan Kalyan not to trust TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and also appealed to the Kapu youth to not believe in what Mr Naidu was trying to mouth through Pawan Kalyan.
Q: What is your poll plank and what are the issues you think would favour you in the triangular fight?
I have always believed in god and served the people. I am not a man to be seen only during elections. I have been working with the people for years, so my prospects as a candidate, when compared to Congress prospects in the rest of the Seemandhra, are different.
Q: The Modi-Naidu-Pawan combine has vowed to wipe out Congress and YSRC. This appears to be generating negative opinion about Congress and YSRC among Kapu youth and Pawan fans? Will it have any impact on you?
This will not affect me personally. It is only Congress that worked for Kapus. In 1993, a GO was issued for BC scholarships for Kapus and it didn’t materialise till 2004. After our government came to power, the GO was revived and the scholarship amount was increased from Rs 2 crore to Rs 22 crores. In his nine-and-half years’ tenure, Naidu’s government didn’t bother about the Kapu community. When Congress Kapu MLAs’ community wanted to represent certain issues to Naidu, he didn’t give them an appointment. For power, Naidu will eat grass. During elections whatever he says can’t be believed. If Pawan Kalyan or any other member of the community trusts him, it is like “Gorre Kasai Vanni namminetla” (a goat trusting butcher); from my experience I am telling this to the youth.
Q: What is the situation of Congress overall in the Seemandhra after bifurcation of the state?
Some Congress leaders ran away fearing backlash from public. Congress will definitely play a key role in forming the government in Seemandhra.
