Congress leaders are worried that theDalit votebank which has always been solidly behind the party is slipping away. The YSR Congress Party has been actively weaning them away from the Congress Party.
Dalit Christians have been made to take oath to support Jagan’s Party during recent Good Friday in churches, said Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao, the former PRP leader who is now in Congress. The former minister was expressing his view at the review meeting on by-elections held by CM Kiran Kumar Reddy at his camp office on Saturday.
This happened in Polvaram, which is going to by-polls, and my information is that this has been happening across the state, Kotagiri is reported to have pointed out.
Expressing concern at the Dalits moving en mass towards YSR Congress Party, Kotagiri wanted to know what the party was doing to prevent this exodus, which would cost Congress heavily in polls.
Jagan’s Christian card has become a matter of grave concern for Congress Party. With his brother-in-law Brother Anil Kumar actively campaigning among the Dalit Christians in support of Jagan, there has been a clear shift of this group towards the new party.
The ruling party is flummoxed on how to counter this trend, which is being intensely followed up by Anil’s ministry.
