BRS flip flop on Chandrababu's arrest: Eye on Kamma votes in Telangana?

Why is there a sudden change in the BRS over the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh? A few days ago, KTR said that the arrest was an internal matter of Andhra Pradesh and that the BRS has nothing to say about it. But now, the BRS leaders are speaking in a different tone. They are praising late NTR to the skies and are expressing sympathy for Chandrababu Naidu.

Why this sudden change? Reports from within the BRS suggest that several candidates have reported to the BRS establishment that the settlers from Andhra, especially the Kamma community, are upset with these statements. This could affect their electoral prospects, they told KTR.

Interestingly, there are at least 32 constituencies, where the Kammas constitute a considerable chunk of voters in Telangana. Their votes matter in Khammam, Nizamabad, parts of Rangareddy and the western part of Hyderabad like Kukatpalli, Serilingampalli, Qutbullahpur, LB Nagar and Jubilee Hills. The BRS does not want to offend the Kammas ahead of the elections.

So, the damage control has begun. Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy has organized a meeting in support of Chandrababu Naidu and Ajay Puvvada, a Kamma minister, praised NTR to the skies. KTR, in a clear effort aimed at placating angry Kammas, heaped praises on NTR, while Harish Rao said that the arrest of Chandrababu pained him.

Will all these help mollify the sullen Kammas? Let’s wait and see how things unfold.