will-the-present-political-dynamics-in-andhra-pradesh-help-naidu

As far as Lok Sabha and assembly elections are concerned, the alliance among Bharatiya Janata Party-TDP-Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh is forged with an aim to end the rule of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, problems for Naidu do not end with this.

 

The poll bugle has been sounded with the Election Commission announcing the dates of the general elections 2024 on Saturday. Hence, politics has taken the centre stage and the same is expected to continue till the next government is formed by June 16.

 

Shifting the limelight to one of the southern states, Andhra Pradesh, which finds special mention when it comes to nature’s bounties. The chief of Telugu Desam Party and this year’s star campaigner from the state N Chandrababu Naidu is getting less traction. And the reason for this is two women.

 

It was learnt that an entrepreneur hailing from Hyderabad Durga Padmini was about to contest from Kuppam assembly constituency, which is known to be the home turf of Naidu. Durga is the wife of KRJ Bharath, MLC and YSR Congress leader who is Naidu’s opponent from Kuppam, which is a part of Chittoor district in the Rayalaseema region.

 

Durga was actively campaigning in the constituency. She, reportedly, met 90 per cent of voters hailing from the rural families in the area and also extended financial support to some. A hint of the development brought Naidu’s wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari to the constituency where she extended charitable support to those in need. While addressing a gathering, she expressed her desire to contest from Kuppam and quipped about giving rest to Naidu.

 

In an attempt to back her husband, Bhuvaneshwari started to campaign actively eyeing Lok Sabha polls. She started a campaign—‘Nijam Gelavali’ (truth should triumph), travelled to various places and gave a boost to the morale of those who went sulking over Naidu’s arrest.

 

Although it was expected that both the women would lock horns in Kuppam, they have decided to stay away from contesting the polls.

 

Moreover, as far as Lok Sabha and assembly elections are concerned, the alliance among Bharatiya Janata Party-TDP-Jana Sena is forged with an aim to end the rule of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In March 2018, when Naidu was the chief minister, he walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, citing the Union government’s failure in granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. In the subsequent assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the TDP received a drubbing—it could win just 23 seats in the assembly and three seats in the Lok Sabha.

 

Given the results, Naidu mended his ways and did not target the BJP in the past five years. And simultaneously maintained a distance from the INDI Alliance. It was recently that TDP gave in to the demands of the BJP and agreed to let them contest 10 seats out of 25 Lok Sabha constituencies.

 

The BJP’s interest is to win Lok Sabha elections with the help of regional parties. And the TDP wants to get back to power. The prospect of the alliance appears dicey as naysayers fear that the minority will not vote for the TDP.

 

Additionally, the changing stakes of JS chief Pawan Kalyan who identified Naidu to be a corrupt leader just ahead of 2019 polls, too, give TDP enough reasons to worry. Moreover, both TDP and JS have different political ideologies. So an alliance deal which was proposed by Kalyan appears to be out of sync.

 

On the contrary, Naidu can find some relief from the relatives of Jagan. His sister Y.S. Sharmila, who recently joined the Congress asserted at a public meeting that Naidu was better than Jagan in terms of governance.

 

It appears little difficult to project the outcome of the election in Andhra Pradesh as none of the political parties seem to have a secured place, at present. The situation can turn in favour of either Jagan or Naidu, keeping the nation hooked till June 2 over Andhra Pradesh power tussle.