Former minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham wrote a letter to AP chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday asking him to extend the five percent reservations to the Kapus in the state.

Padmanabham referred to the Central government’s statement in Parliament about extending 10 per cent reservations for the Economically Backward Sections (EBS). The former minister said that the Central government had said that the state governments have the choice to extend the 10 per cent EWS reservations as per their lists.

The former minister said that the AP government had in 2019 passed an Act giving five per cent reservations to the Kapus. Hence, Padmanabham wanted the chief minister to give the five percent reservations to the Kapus in education and employment.

Padmanabham said that the Kapus have voted for the YSR Congress in the last 2019 elections and would vote for the party in the next election if the five per cent reservation was given to them. He also said that people, including Kapus, respect late NTR and Dr YSR who worked for the welfare of the people.

The former minister wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to give the reservations to the Kapus and fulfil their long pending dream. He said that people of the Kapu community were waiting for the Jagan Mohan Reddy government to give them the benefit at least now.

It is now to be seen what the Jagan Mohan Reddy government would do on the key issue as he prepares for the 2024 big battle.