There seems to be a lull in Kapu politics of Andhra Pradesh. The effervescent Kapu community , which is politically powerful and numerically stronger, has been determining the victor and vanquished in AP politics for the past 20 years. The community, which was always in the agitational mood during the Chandrababu regime, is now unusually silent. There are no agitations and demands of any sort.

During the Chandrababu regime, the Kapus were restive and launched the Kapu reservation movement. Mudragada Padmanabham led a massive agitation and put the government in a spot. It took a huge effort on the part of Chandrababu to neutralise the movement. He even had to set up the Kapu corporation with senior Kapu leader and former minister Kothapalli Subbarayudu as the chairperson of the corporation. Then 5 per cent reservations were given from the 10 per cent EBC quota to the Kapus. Despite all that, the community largely voted against the TDP.

The YSRCP had, on the other hand, categorically said that Kapu reservations were not under its jurisdiction. Now the 5 per cent reservation too has been struck down by the courts. The Jagan government did pretty much nothing for the community. Now there are corporations for every conceivable caste and Kapu corporation has lost its primacy.

But, Jagan did something that Chandrababu did not do. He has silenced Mudragada and gave four ministerial berths to the community. All major Kapu leaders today got some nominated post or the other. Secondly, he managed to get most of the Kapu leaders on board. Leaders like Thota Trimutulu have also joined the YSRCP. Even Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan too is silent on this issue. Thus, except for some third rung leader, no one is even talking about the Kapu issue.