Naidu games in
Andhra Pradesh
MS Shanker
The latest political posturing
of Nara Chandrababu
Naidu (NCN), TDP
President and Chief
Minister of Andhra
Pradesh, pulling his two
Ministers out of the NDA government,
and opting for "No Confidence
Motion" against the ally- turned -
adversary at the Centre should not
surprise political analysts. His
admirers may describe his decision as
"political sagacity" of the highest
order. Others, especially his critics,
term it as a political hara-kiri. His
critics drub it as blatantly
opportunistic.
With 2019 elections round the
corner and his rival, Jaganmohan
Reddy, (Jagan), YSR Congress Party
(YSRCP), attracting crowds during his "Rathayatras/Padayatras" and
raising the issue of "Special
Category Status (SCS)", he has few
options.Furthermore, cinemahero-
turned politician Pawan
Kalyan with his Jana Sena, is firing
on all cylinders at him. He, too, is in
the forefront of SCS demand
though. Naidu has been working
overtime to placate him and thus
enlist his Kapu community's
support for the TDP.
Anti-incumbency is a major
concern for NCN. He has failed to
fulfill pre-poll promises. No significant
breakthrough in growth, development
and welfare to trumpet in the rum up
to 2019 ballot.Amaravati, the much
acclaimed capital of Andhra Pradesh,
remains on paper even after the
Central allotment of Rs.
2500 crores
for creation of essential
infrastructure, despite nonsubmission
of DPRs (Detailed Project
Report) even after four years.
NCN
government continues to operate
from camp offices in Hyderabad and
Vijayawada. Only for photo-ops, the
Cabinet meets in temporary
accommodation in Amaravati.
With the media hype over loss of
Modi - BJP credibility in the wake of
by-poll rout in UP, MP, Rajasthan and
Bihar, NCN has begun to look to other
alternatives to reclaim power.
Modi,
Amit Shah, Arun Jaitley and BJP
bashing offers the badly needed
opening, besides the nebulous "Third
Front" in the making. He doesn't want
to drive the minorities – Christians
and Muslims – away from the TDP.
His
rollback of a tweet on Savarkar -
"Humble tributes to the revolutionary
freedom fighter Veer Sarvakar ji on his
death anniversary",is a part of a
calibrated effort to distance from the
BJP and its pronounced Hindutva
ideology
Put simply, NCN has reverted to the
"blame game" politics to absolve his
government and party of nonperformance.
Of course, he is also out
to deny the SCS plank to Jagan's
YSRCP.
Jaganmohan Reddy and Pawan
Kalyan
It he and his party were committed
to 'SCS' demand, why he had justified
the 'special package' was offered to
him soon after the polls? How can the
BJP-led NDA or any other holy or
unholy coalition grant "SCS" to Andhra
Pradesh without first fulfilling longpending
demands of six states - Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh for such a status as
recommended by the Raghuram
Rajan Committee?
What about Odisha? Chief
Minister, Naveen Patnaik, made a
strong pitch for special category
status to his state at Niti Ayog
meeting in New Delhi in April 2017.
He is worried that several policy
decisions of the Centre have
largely offset the benefits from
increased devolution of Central
taxes to Odisha.
Granting "SCS" only to Andhra
Pradesh is a virtual impossibility
either for the Modi-led BJP-NDA
Front, or the Rahul Gandhi-led
Congress Party-UPA Front or the nebulous "Third Front" in the making.
Notwithstanding such a reality,
NCN, Jaganmohan Reddy, Pawan
Kalyan, and even Rahul Gandhi
have been demanding "SCS" status
now just to regain voters support in
the forthcoming elections.
Political leaders without exception
forget that "people may be fooled for
some time evoking emotional issues;
but not all the time for eternity." The
key issue is simple. Credibility of
parties – national and regional on the
promises made while piloting the
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act
four years ago.
Be that as it may, the latest move
by NCN needs to be viewed
pragmatically based on his track
record of vicious guiles and games
over 40 years. He was elected as
Congress MLA in 1978 at the age of 28
and became the youngest Minister.
Following his defeat in 1983 at the
hands of a candidate of Telugu Desam
floated by his father-in-law, N T Rama
Rao, (NTR), he deserted the Congress,
and started a new innings as the
power behind the throne in the TDP.
Admittedly, NCN is a "wily politician
par excellence". His critics, who are
swelling in numbers, accuse him of
thriving on blatant lies, false promises,
half-truths, backstabbing,
blackmailing, selective personal
attacks and promoting "Aye Ram,
Gaye Ram" politics. Ends justify means
for him. Self predominates. Already
his son, Nara Lokesh, a minister in the NCN govt, is waiting coronation as the
next President of the TDP with the
brood of NTR is sulking in the
background.
Furthermore, people are no fools.
They understand that commitment
made by Dr. Manmohan Singh, as
Prime Minister of the day, on the floor
of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) to grant
"SCS" after the passage of the AP
Reorganization Bill 2014, was only to
mollify their ruffled feelings; but
nothing substantial.That was the
principle reason why the Congress
Party-led UPA did not include "SCS" in
the AP Reorganization Bill 2014.
Be that as it may, the stakes are
very high for the BJP. They had lost an
opportunity by not going alone during
the 2014 elections. They should
remain vigilant to face the
embarrassment of Naidu abandoning
the NDA in case of any chance for the
'third alternative" emerging as a force
to reckon with or if the BJP is humbled
at the Karnataka polls in May 2018.
The BJP has the following
options for the 2019 elections: go
alone; pre-poll or post-poll alliance
with whichever party – TDP or
YSRCP – emerges as the largest
party.
For the present, NCN has made his
first move of what may be termed as
"Abandoning Sinking Ship of BJP -led
NDA". There is still time for the last
ball in the political game being played
out. Whether it will be a bouncer or
googly, time alone will tell.