Andhra Pradesh politics always a game of chess where everybody seeks possible political combination to draw a strong, winning gameplay. Now, this time, the ruling YRCP is ahead for constructing political equations to draw a fool-proof strategy for coming elections.
The main political players in Andhra Pradesh are focusing on numerous topics well in advance of the upcoming Assembly elections in order to present a compelling argument for who should lead the state from 2024 to 2029.
The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) are developing hustings strategies in an effort to outsmart one another. The recent special meeting in Visakhapatnam between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Pawan Kalyan is significant in this context. The meeting was called at the last minute, surprising even the JSP leadership. According to popular belief, Modi expressed interest in speaking with Pawan only to bridge the perceived divide between the two parties.
As you may remember, Pawan gave Modi his unwavering backing during the 2014 elections and even shared credit for bringing the TDP-BJP coalition to office. However, cracks soon appeared in the two parties’ alliance as Pawan criticised the Modi administration for refusing to grant Andhra Pradesh Special Category Status (SCS). N. Chandrababu Naidu, the state’s former ruler, followed suit and severed ties with the BJP for the same reason. Because to his backtracking on SCS during that time, his reputation suffered. He forced his ministers to resign from the Modi-led Union government as an act of damage control.
After realising that the results of the 2019 elections show that Modi has a sizable amount of public support, Pawan has now re-joined the BJP without any hesitation. When it comes to potential partnerships between other political parties, he is now regarded as the only “official friend” in AP. After an eight-year hiatus, Pawan is thrilled to finally meet Modi.
Modi’s strategic meeting with his potential electoral partner in AP has heated up politics in the state. All along, TDP and JSP have been chalking out programmes separately and highlighting the alleged failures of the YSRCP government. On his part, Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is determined to decimate both TDP and JSP. The two opposition parties have made it clear that they would work for a united opposition against the YSRCP at the hustings. They however did not go into the specifics of their joint stir and election strategy. This is because of the hazy picture regarding possible alliance with BJP, though it is amply clear that a united fight would be launched by the Opposition against the Jaganmohan Reddy government.
As per statistics of votes polled by political parties in the 2019 elections, there are many Assembly constituencies across the state that recorded substantial votes polled by both TDP and JSP, indicating a split in anti-government vote banks, which helped YSRCP bag 151 seats out of 175. The concept of a united opposition is causing worry in the ruling party. Only to keep their flock together, representatives of YSRCP are making personal accusations and criticism against TDP and JSP, more so against Pawan.
“Contest all 175 seats in the state if you have guts?” and “Declare daringly that you would become chief minister” are some of the barbs that the ruling party has directed at its political opponents. Chandrababu Naidu and his family members had to face severe criticism, including those of personal nature. The issue of Pawan’s marriages became a hot topic at one point of time.
Launching a united front in AP before the 2024 elections is a challenging task for TDP and JSP. Jagan is confident of retaining power solely on the strength of the YSRCP government’s welfare schemes. People who got financial assistance as part of the state government’s welfare measures would likely vote only for YSRCP. “Don’t get all the details of developmental programmes; they may only confuse you. Please think whether your family benefited from the government schemes” is the ringing message coming from none other than the Chief Minister.
In order for an ageing Chandrababu Naidu to retire from politics before the 2029 elections, Jagan is determined to defeat TDP once more in the 2024 elections. However, with the help of like-minded groups, the TDP hopes to capitalise on its organisational strength and make a comeback in state politics. The leaders of the TDP and JSP are aware of how badly their political futures will be affected by the lack of a unified opposition to the Jaganmohan Reddy administration. The BJP’s influence therefore affects them both.
For Modi, the TDP and YSRCP would be within his grasp in any post-election scenario for 2024. Given the current political climate, Jagan may decide to back the party that wins the federal government considering the DA cases pending against him in courts. For him, creating hurdles for TDP and JSP in their unity efforts is immediate priority. #KhabarLive #hydnews #hydlive
