The intense case war plugged the AP BJP making it difficult for the party high-command to select the next state president. The state party has practically bifurcated into rival caste groups. While one group of Kammas is led by state president and MP D Purandeshwari, the other group of Kapus and Reddys is monitored by former state chief Somu Veerraju.
After a humiliating move Somu Veerraju was suddenly removed as state party chief and Purandeshwari was brought by the party high-command, he practically went into political isolation.
His efforts to contest in the last year’s elections as Rajahmundry MP or even as Rajahmundry MLA were failed after TDP chief and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu made it clear to the BJP top leadership it would be difficult for the TDP and Jana Sena cadre to work for him due to his proximity with former chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
It may be recalled that out of 8 BJP MLAs four are from Kammas, whereas not a single Kapu elected as an MLA, as against to out of four MLAs in 2014 two were Kapus and the remaining two are Kamma and Raju. Somu Veerraju tried bitterly to become Rajya Sabha member after formation of the coalition government, but failed.
But, recently in MLC elections surprising everyone, without any recommendation from the state unit, he was succeeded to elect as an MLC. In fact, Purandeshwari recommended the name of former ZP Chairman P Nagabushanam, but that was ignored by the party high-command.
Former state BJP organizing secretary Ravindra Raju, who was shunted out from here to Haryana when Kanna Lakshmi Narayana was the state president, accusing him of encouraging groupism within the state party, is said to be now playing his cards well from Delhi office to take control over state BJP affairs from behind the screen.
He was able to influence BJP organizing secretary BL Santosh to field Veerraju as MLC candidate, ignoring opposition from the TDP also.
Now, Union Minister of state Srinivasa Varma, who is close follower of Somu Veerraju, former MP GVL Narasimha Rao, state Vice President Vishnuvardhan Reddy and other leaders are rallying behind Somu Veerraju. Ravindra Varma is said to be effectively coordinating their dissident activities against Purandeshwari. These leaders only successfully prevented her from joining the union cabinet last month.
While Purandeshwari is keen to continue as state president and former union minister Sujana Choudhary is also lobbying to head the state party; Somu Veerraju is working out to get his own person as state president. In this regard names of Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Adoni MLA Parthasarathy and others.
However, the party national leadership is said to be viewing that their experiments to give leadership to Kamma or Kapu communities in the state for a long time failed to strengthen the party. These two communities only led the party after bifurcation. While Reddys are identified with YSRCP, Kammas are identified with TDP, the Kapus are identified with Jana Sena.
A strong view point is emerging from recent exercises that it would be better to focus on attracting Dalit and BC communities towards the party, giving them leadership in the state. Dalits, who were identified with YSRCP in recent times are in discontent with the Christian fame of YS Jaganmohan Reddy. They are in search of alternate leadership.
The BJP tried to attract them in neighbouring Tamil Nadu by making Annamalai, a former IPS officer as state president. But due to his unilateral and egoistic attitude he failed to grab the opportunity. Moreover, Dalits are well organized and educated in Andhra Pradesh. They were in the forefront of several social movements.
Earlier also several efforts were made to make dalits and BCs as a formidable political force in the state, in the absence of a strong leadership that failed to yield expected results. Many social scientists too felt it will be a golden opportunity for the BJP to focus on these communities, who are waiting for an inspiring leadership.
Though BCs were earlier identified with TDP, later Jaganmohan Reddy succeeded in bringing a division among them. Now TDP is also facing a crisis of leadership among these communities. Dalits never identified with TDP and now after SC classification it would be difficult for the party to get a strong foot-hold among them.
