Kakinada: The Congress, which is down and out in AP, is trying to make political capital out of the Kapu agitations for reservations.
The party is trying to woo Kapus into its fold by extending support to Kapunadu leader Mudragada Padmanabham.
AP Congress Committee president N. Raghuveera Reddy and Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister K. Chiranjeevi will call on Mr Padmanabham at Kirlampudi on Monday.
According to sources, as per instructions given by party president Sonia Gandhi, AP Congress in-charge Digvijay Singh and former Union minister M.M. Pallam Raju telephoned Mr Padmanabham and extended their support to him.
The leaders said that the party would help him in his attempt to have the Kapus included in the BC and OBC lists at the Centre if the state government forwarded their demand.
Mr Raghuveera Reddy has been extending his support to their cause from the very beginning.
Congress leaders, including MLC C. Ramachandraiah, also attended the Kapu Aikhya Garjana at Tuni on January 31. The Congress is also trying to forge an alliance between SC, ST and Kapus to counter the TD.
“The Congress always works for the welfare of the Dalits, BCs and Kapus. The AICC is ready to extend its support in the Rajya Sabha to any Bill on inclusion of the Kapus in the BC list as it has the strength in the Upper House,”' said East Godavari DCC president Kandula Durgesh.
Mr Chiranjeevi has declared that the government provide reservations as per Mr Padmanabham’s demand while Congress MP V. Hanumantha Rao rendered his support to the Kapu cause, participated in the Kapu Aikhya Garjana meeting on January 31 and visited Kirlampudi and called on Mr Padmanabham to convey his solidarity with him. It therefore seems that Congress circles expect to woo Mr Padmanabham into the party.
