Congress pins hopes on new star cast
HYDERABAD: Is the Congress leadership looking at 'social re-engineering' in Seemandhra if its plan to divide the State fructifies?
Conscious of the fact that its base has taken a hit in Andhra-Rayalaseema following its T-decision, the Congress seems to be embarking on a plan to challenge the traditional control the two powerful communities - Reddys and Kammas - have over the State.
The view among the Central leaders is that the party would not have taken such a beating in Seemandhra but for the planned fight put up by leaders belonging to these two communities once the T-announcement was made. This, after having agreed to abide by whatever decision the party leadership took.
The thinking that seems to be gaining ground is that even the likes of PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, a BC leader who was not averse to division initially, were forced to toe the Samaikyandhra line following a systematic campaign by the powerful lobbies.
Other State ministers like Kanna Lakshminarayana, also a BC, Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad and Kondru Murali, both Dalits, and Balaraju, a tribal, are now more strident in saying that they would ultimately go by the high command line. Among Union Ministers, Panabaka Lakshmi was bold enough to tell Samaikyandhra protagonists to back off.
The change of position among all of them comes in the wake of a gradual realisation that division could indeed help BCs and Dalits gain real political power.
With the Telugu Desam seen as a party led by Kammas and the YSRC by Reddys, the Congress intends to position a BC-Dalit combine in Seemandhra to convey a message that it is time for a change in the political order.
According to sources, Panabaka Lakshmi, in fact, raised this issue when she called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and emphasised that the party should put in place a plan to bring about this change and effectively back it up by providing requisite resources.
As and when division happens, the Congress could come out with new cards to play in Seemandhra and if it does succeed in altering the caste equations ahead of elections, the whole dynamics could change all over again.
News Posted: 12 November, 2013
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