Sometimes what we take for an advantage becomes a disadvantage, and a weakness, as we learn to compensate for it, becomes a strength. To defeat a Goliath, David needs to adopt different strategies. This is what crossed my mind when I closely followed the recent political developments in Andhra Pradesh and fissures within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), headed by its founder YS Jagan, openly challenged Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to either initiate a no-confidence motion against Modi government or support the same moved by the former. An unexpected ‘padyatra’, undertaken by YS Jagan, has led to a serious churning among the top echelons of the TDP.
YS Jagan, unlike the last time, has come out with a set of alternative policy measures aimed to address the grievances of various sections of the Andhra society. This sent the TDP Polit Bureau into a huddle to analyse the impact of measures that Jagan plans to pitch in the forthcoming elections. This, in turn, coerced the TDP supremo into redrawing the battle lines with the BJP.
The change of course started with a statement by TDP supremo over the alleged non-cooperation by the Centre for its ambitious rural housing program. On the other hand, there is strong resentment among the public over the pace of development of the new capital city, Amaravathi. Despite his 30 sorties to Delhi in a special flight with a jumbo delegation, Chandrababu Naidu was not able to get any required financial support from Narendra Modi.
Over the last four years, the special status promised by the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014 became a bone of contention between people of residual Andhra Pradesh and the central government. Left parties organized a sustained campaign against both TDP and BJP over their collusive politics.
To make matters worse, after Union finance minister Arun Jaitley firmly rejected the demand for a special status two years ago, and instead desired to extend additional grants under Special Assistance Scheme, there was hue and cry within the state’s political set up. A considerable section of the TDP also upped the ante against Jaitley’s announcement.
In the wake of this announcement, Chandrababu Naidu warned TDP followers not to take any action against the BJP. He also asked the police to arrest all those who raised their voice for special status — a blanket order. Arun Jaitley, in his union budget presented on February 1, 2018, couldn’t accommodate the Andhra government’s demands, opening floodgates for resentment.
In 2004, it was Naidu who had motivated the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to advance general elections by a few months post the Naxal attempt on his life. Naidu had hoped for a sympathy vote not only for himself but the BJP as well. The nation, back then, also saw the gap between “Bharat” and “India” widening, though “Shining India” became a catchy slogan for the BJP.
The sustained mobilisation of people against the BJP and TDP’s neo-liberal policies in Andhra Pradesh set the mood for a change among the voters, which was encashed by the late YS Rajasekhar Reddy. A grand alliance of Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left, was formed. This alliance solidified the double anti-incumbency against the BJP and the TDP, ousting them from power for almost a decade.
While the memories of double anti-incumbency still linger in the mind of the TDP, BJP seems to have forgotten the same under the totalitarian ways of Narendra Modi. If the current situation is left unaddressed, it is obvious that repeating the 2014 heroics would be a herculean task for the TDP. Coming under pressure from wider political conjuncture, the TDP got its ministers to resign and walk out of the NDA. This was followed by a decision to move a no-trust motion against the Modi government; a change in tactics with which the TDP plans to fight next elections. The dismal performance of the BJP in its backyards such as Gorakhpur and Phulpur might make the TDP believe that breaking away from the NDA was a timely call.
Whether the people of Andhra Pradesh once again trust Chandrababu Naidu, who mortgaged the Telugu pride at the feet of Modi over the last four years, is something yet to be seen.
Veeraiah Konduri is a senior journalist and commentator.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect those of NewsCentral24x7.
