AP polls: Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham, son Giri join YSRCP

Tadepalli: Senior Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham and his son Giri joined the YSRCP in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday at Tadepalli camp office.

Mudragada is a prominent face of the Kapu community, a predominant community in the East Godavari district. For the last three decades, he has been spearheading a campaign for the inclusion of Kapus and their sub-castes into the list of Other Backward Classes.

Mudragada is likely to address the media in the evening.

Sources said that the TDP-Jana Sena alliance is worried that if Mudragada Padmanabham joins the YSRCP, there will be a split in the Kapu votes which will benefit the ruling party. In this regard, the TDP and Jana Sena leaders are leaving no stone unturned for the victory in the twin Godavari districts and convening a series of meetings with the Kapu leader to show the unity among the Kapu community and to dethrone the YSRCP from power in the state.

Sources said that Mudragada is likely to be given Pitapuram assembly seat to fight against Pawan Kalyan. Just a day ago, Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan announced that he would contest from Pitapuram. If Mudragada is given a seat in Pithapuram, it would be a tough contest between him and Pawan Kalyan.