Andhra Pradesh’s last Assembly election saw the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP) and BJP alliance register a sweeping victory, with TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu taking oath as Chief Minister. Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, who leads the JSP, became Deputy Chief Minister.
Pawan Kalyan, identified with the Kapu community, had earlier faced setbacks, including defeats even in constituencies he contested. In the most recent election, the JSP contested only 21 of the state’s 175 seats and won all of them.
While Kapus form around 20% of Andhra Pradesh’s population and are seen as influential in up to 60 constituencies—especially in East and West Godavari—there is a long-standing sentiment in the community about inadequate representation in power. Criticism has also emerged that contesting fewer seats meant their interests were sidelined.
A key point of discontent has been the Kapu demand for backward class reservation. The report says Pawan Kalyan has been unable to raise the issue strongly, citing the risk of friction within the alliance, which has fuelled dissatisfaction.
Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party is said to be leveraging this mood to widen cracks in the ruling alliance, with social media messaging urging Pawan Kalyan to exit the coalition and fight alone in 2029—invoking actor Vijay’s political success in Tamil Nadu as a reference point.
