The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opposed the decision by the YSRCP government to leave out the Kapu community while implementing the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota of 10% in the state. The provision for 5% reservation for Kapus in the EWS quota was issued by the previous TDP government.
"I am compelled to state that your government has opened an unwarranted controversy by not continuing the resolution made by earlier Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the stand taken by the earlier government. Instead, the present government under your auspices has taken a controversial decision by depriving Kapus of their 5% reservation," Andhra BJP chief Kanna Lakshminarayana wrote, in a letter to Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Kanna also said that the YSRCP's claim that the TDP did not reply to a letter by the Centre dated April 4, 2019, did not hold good, as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) had come into place, which may have made it difficult for the state government to reply.
"As is known to all, several committees and commissions including the Manjunatha Committee have identified Kapus as an economically backward group. Moreover, the Kapu community and all political parties in the state have been in consensus in terms of their public expressions and manifestos that Kapus needed to be considered for reservations. It has been a long-felt need and demand," the BJP leader added.
In conclusion, he wrote, "I request you to honour the resolution made by the earlier Assembly and the stand taken by the earlier government in providing 5% reservation to Kapus out of the 10% reservation provided by the Centre for EWS."
The TDP government had in December 2017 passed a bill to provide 5% reservation for Kapus out of the total 10% reservation for EWS proposed by the Centre. However, the reservation had not been implemented so far with the matter pending in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.