The AP politics are now revolving around the BC and Dalit vote banks. The rival parties are making a strong bid to attract these voters by going to any length. In the last few days, the YCP announced 56 welfare corporations for different BC castes while the TDP has named a BC leader as its Andhra Pradesh state unit and also gave 40 per cent posts to BCs in its Politburo.
The TDP is openly admitting that some chunk of its traditional BC support distanced from it during the 2019 elections, eventually leading to its defeat. CM Jaganmohan Reddy and his election strategists could split BC votes in Godavari districts by just attacking Pawan Kalyan. That changed the Kapu-BC equations at that time. Even now, Jagan Reddy is continuing to spring surprises in regard to vote bank strategies. Whether his Government gives funds or not, he has formed 56 corporations for BC castes. His party leaders are taking this into the people.
On the other hand, TDP AP President Atchannaidu is confident that the BC vote banks have returned totally to the TDP yet again after seeing the atrocities of Jagan regime in the past 16 months. At the same time, the TDP is also expecting a major shift in the thinking of Dalit sections of voters. The ongoing debate and rising atrocities are certain to split the Dalit vote bank in the coming years.
No doubt, 2019 was a bad election year for the TDP and a brilliant one for the YCP. The TDP lost a good chunk of BC votes while the Dalits voted en bloc against it and in favour of Jagan Reddy. Now, the TDP is expecting a role reversal that it would regain its full grip on BC voters while some portion of Dalit voters would also support it. Probably sensing this, Jagan Reddy has already started to split BCs further to avoid a major setback in future.
Vote banks will never be static.