Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is a shrewd politician who does not want to let go any opportunity that comes his way to gain political mileage on any issue.
Realising that the statement made by YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy washing off his hands on the Kapu reservations issue by throwing the blame on the Centre has caused a lot of unrest among the Kapu community, Naidu quickly sought to turn the situation in his advantage.
On Monday morning, Naidu held a teleconference with the party MPs and asked them to take up the Kapu reservations issue in Parliament and bring pressure on the Centre, along with the demand for special category status issue.
He also did not fail to attack Jagan saying the latter had taken a U-turn on Kapu reservations issue.
In Lok Sabha, TDP MP from Anakapalle Avanti Srinivas Rao raised the issue during the zero hour.
He pointed out that the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly had passed the Kapu reservation bill providing 5 per cent reservation for Kapu community in education and employment in the state.
“The bill has been sent to the Centre to be included in the ninth Schedule of the Constitution by undertaking constitutional amendment. It has been pending with the Centre for the last nine months. I urge the centre to clear the Kapu reservation bill as early as possible,” he said.
Naidu also see a positive change in the attitude of former minister and Kapu strongman Mudragada Padmanabham towards the TDP, after seeing Jagan’s volte face.
Mudragada said he had complete faith in Naidu that he would bring reservations bill into implementation. May be, the TDP hopes to win over Mudragada before the elections!