Telugu speakers have a sound presence in Karnataka capital Bengaluru and surrounding areas
The ripples of the politics being played out in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are felt in Karnataka with regional parties from the two states turning up the heat on the BJP in the state Assembly elections.
Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrashekhar Rao and Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi have supported former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular). Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pulled out of the Narendra Modi-led government over denial of the special category status to Andhra Pradesh, has called on Telugu speakers to defeat the BJP.
Telugu speakers have a sound presence in Karnataka capital Bengaluru and surrounding areas.
"Telugu speakers are quite anti-BJP now due to the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh," said Srikanth Yarlagadda, President of Telugu Association, Bengaluru, which has around 36,000 members. He noted that anti-BJP messages had made the rounds on social media.
However, the association has not taken any political position, Yarlagadda added, stating that Telugu speakers were also miffed at a new railway zone not being created at Vishakhapatnam and more central funds not being released to Andhra.
Madhu Sudhan Chadalawada, vice-president of the association, admitted that there was an anti-BJP sentiment. "This is not my reaction, but that of our members. Many are angry at the denial of the special category status and non-fulfillment of promises and may not vote for the BJP. But, it is difficult to say if they will go with the Congress or the JD(S)," he noted.
Tanveer Ahmed, national spokesperson JD(S), noted that Telugu speakers had a deep and pervasive influence on Karnataka. Around 38 MLAs across parties in the outgoing assembly were Telugu speakers. The first chief minister of Mysore state was K Chengalaraya Reddy.
"Our agriculture, irrigation, food, clothing, hairstyles, cleanliness have traditionally depended on Telugu people. If they decide, they are good enough to change the government," said Ahmed, admitting they could swing to either the JD (S) or the Congress.
"The Telugu speakers here are not migrants. They have been born and brought up here and... do not identify with issues in Andhra Pradesh," said BJP joint spokesperson S Prakash, calling these efforts "futile."
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