The alleged lockup death of Sai Krishna in Vijayawada recently triggered yet another round of polarised campaign by the YSR Congress Party and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-Janasena combine to mobilise the support of the Kapu community voters.
In the lexicon of Indian politics, "social engineering" is often a polite euphemism for the calculated mobilisation of caste. In the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, this engineering has historically been dominated by two formidable groups: the Reddys and the Kammas. Despite their numerical minority—Reddys at approximately eight percent and Kammas at five percent—the chief minister’s office has rotated between them for decades.
Yet, in the complex tapestry of Andhra Pradesh’s social engineering, one community holds the key to the treasury but rarely sits on the throne.
Looming over the Reddy-Kamma duopoly is the Kapu community, a demographic giant that accounts for roughly 15 percent to 25 percent of the population, depending on which census or political estimate one believes.