YSRC to rope Vangaveeti daughter into poll fray?

[Anta Assamey]

With Kapu community votes all set to become a major factor in the upcoming assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, all major political parties in the state are vying to with one another to win their confidence.

While power star Pawan Kalyan heading the Jana Sena Party becoming a rallying point for the Kapus, other political parties, too, are leaving no stone unturned to appease them. 

The Telugu Desam Party headed by N Chandrababu Naidu is banking on leaders like Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, the ruling YSR Congress party headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is looking up to leaders like Mudragada Padmanabham, besides other Kapu leaders like Perni Nani and Ambati Rambabu.

The latest talk doing rounds in a section of media is that the YSRC is planning to rope in late Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga’s daughter Vangaveeti Asha Latha into the election fray.

Efforts are on to convince her to join the party and contest the forthcoming elections from Vijayawada (central) assembly constituency.

Apparently, Jagan thought Vangaveeti Ranga factor would play a major role in attracting Kapu votes. Since there is no way Radhakrishna would return to the YSRC, he has decided to bring Ranga’s daughter Asha Latha into politics.

It is learnt the YSRC leadership had approached Asha through her uncle (brother of her mother Ratna Kumari) and tried to convince her to contest the next elections.

“Her entry will transform the political equations not only in Vijayawada, but also in the neighbouring Godavari districts, where Ranga is revered as a hero,” sources said.

If Asha Latha agrees for the contest, then sitting MLA Malladi Vishnu might have to sacrifice his seat of Vijayawada central for her. He may be compensated in some other form by Jagan, sources added.