It’s ‘Iftar time’ for contestants ahead of Ramzan

Contestants in Kadapa/Nellore districts vie to host Iftar parties ahead of Ramzan and elections, reaching out to Muslim community.

With the Ramzan festival being round the corner and the general elections not far away, several contestants are vying to host ‘Iftar’ parties and were seen visiting mosques and dargahs to make their presence felt.

There are many constituencies in the Rayalaseema districts of Kadapa, Nandyal, Kurnool, Annamayya and Anantapur, where the Muslim community has a sizeable presence.

It was Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who became the prominent politician to attend an Iftar party first, which happened on April 1 during his ‘Memantha Siddham’ campaign in Sri Sathya Sai district.

APCC president and Jagan’s sister Y.S. Sharmila Reddy recently hosted an Iftar party in the purview of her Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, where she recalled her father the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s schemes for the minorities and formation of a committee to safeguard Wakf board lands and 4% reservation. “After his demise, the successive governments let the community down,” she said, without delving deep into politics.

Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amzath Basha participated in an Iftar party hosted by party leader Jameel Basha in Kadapa recently, where the duo prayed for global well-being and conveyed their wishes to the community.

Rayachoti MLA and former Whip Gadikota Srikanth Reddy hosted an Iftar party and reached out to Muslim localities in Chinnamandem mandal of his constituency. “Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy offered 4% reservation to the Muslim minorities and this has struck the right chord with you,” he said, when he was accorded a traditional welcome into their villages.

As Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy accorded the second official language status to Urdu and gave a sizeable chunk of nominated posts to minorities, Mr. Srikanth Reddy opined that it is time for the community leaders to strengthen the ruling party’s hand.