rajampet-becomes-kiran-kumar-s-battle-to-establish-bjp-in-andhra-pradesh

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is contesting the Rajampet Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh as a TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party common candidate on a BJP ticket to establish the saffron party in the state. News Arena India Editor-in-Chief Naveen S Garewal travels through the drought-prone region to assess the chances of his success, which appears to be a daunting task ahead for the alliance.

BJP bigwigs, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu have intensified their campaigning to turn this attempt into reality.

 

Claims and counterclaims over doing their bit for this semi-arid, drought-prone agriculture-dominated area have become a major campaign issue. The rocky terrain and lack of perennial rivers have made water scarcity a perennial problem and adversely impacted farmers growing groundnut, sunflower, and jowar.

 

Former Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, contesting on a BJP ticket as the common candidate of the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party (JSP) coalition, is at the heart of this high-stakes political battle. He is taking on a two-time YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) nominee, Midhun Reddy, who is aiming for a hat trick.

 

In its attempted South push, the BJP is contesting six Parliamentary segments in an alliance in Andhra Pradesh. Two of these, Rajampet and Tirupati, are in the southern part of the state in a region called Rayalaseema, bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. For people, Chennai or Bangalore in adjoining states is half a distance away and easier to reach than the operating state capital, Vijayawada.

 

For Kiran Kumar, as he is popularly known, this election is nothing short of a make-or-break moment. Once a powerful Congress leader who helmed the undivided Andhra Pradesh, he has been on the political sidelines since parting ways with the grand old party in 2014 over carving out Telangana by bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

 

A four-time member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and a former Speaker, he was chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from November 2010 to 1 March 2014. He resigned as chief minister and formed a new party, the Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP).

 

When the JSP failed to get any seats in the 2014 elections, he rejoined Congress. He moved to the BJP in April 2023 and is now contesting a formidable opponent in Midhun.

 

 

He is credited with implementing schemes like Mee Seva, Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu, SC/ST Sub-Plan, Bangaru Thalli, Mana Biyyam, Amma Hastham, and the Chittor water scheme during his term as chief minister. He hopes people will vote for him based on his record. “I am a local and receiving a great response. People know my administrative abilities and will surely vote for me,” he told NAI during campaigning.

 

Congress has fielded Sheikh Basheed, a 38-year-old BJP, who hopes to bite into the YSRCP vote bank to give the BJP some advantage. BJP parliamentary co-ordinator Sumant Reddy for Rajampet is confident that the BJP will unseat the two-time sitting YSRCP MP.  

 

However, the path ahead is strewn with challenges. The YSRCP, led by the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has consolidated its grip on the state and enjoys a strong support base, particularly among the weaker and backward sections. The ruling party is banking on its welfare schemes, such as student fee reimbursement and the Rs 1 per kg rice scheme, to woo voters.

 

Water scarcity and the lack of industrial development are among the major issues plaguing the region. The YSRCP and the opposition alliance have promised to address these concerns through various initiatives, including interlinking rivers and establishing special economic zones.

 

“The main issue being faced by the people is drinking water shortage, and the YSRCP has done nothing to address the issue in the last five years”, says Sumant.

 

On the ground, the situation is different. Midhun Reddy told NAI that he had started three water projects that are 50 per cent complete. These include the Avulapalli balancing reservoir, Nethigutlapalle, and Mudiveedu balancing reservoir. He also rattles out half a dozen projects ranging from bus building to battery manufacturing, bringing crores of rupees in investment to the constituency.

 

The enthusiasm with which he is received in the Netaguntapalle, where the continuous beating of drums and showering of petals continues unabated, makes it apparent that Kiran Kumar will not have it easy. The campaign has been intense, with both sides leaving no stone unturned to woo the electorate through roadshows, rallies, and door-to-door canvassing. The political rhetoric has reached a crescendo from promises of better healthcare and education facilities to assurances of economic development and job creation.

 

For the TDP-BJP-JSP combine, the stakes are particularly high. A victory for Kiran Kumar Reddy would bolster the alliance's prospects and bring new life into the opposition's efforts to challenge the YSRCP juggernaut. Conversely, a defeat could dent the coalition's morale and cast doubts over its long-term viability.

 

As the campaign enters its final stretch, both sides pull out all the stops to woo the 13 lakh odd voters in the constituency. Amidst this high-voltage drama, the people of Rajampet find themselves at the centre of a fierce political tug-of-war, their votes poised to shape the future trajectory of Andhra Pradesh's political landscape.