Parties in Andhra Pradesh get into elections mode

With the war of words between the leaders of rival parties taking an ugly turn, the political atmosphere in Andhra Pradesh is heating up amid the talk of early elections. To leave no chance to rivals and gain an upper hand, the parties have already got into the poll mode, reaching out to voters to drum up their support.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is busy pressing the button to transfer cash to the beneficiaries of his pet scheme Navaratnalu and interacting with the people during the public meetings held to mark the occasions. Highlighting the schemes initiated by the government for the welfare of all sections, Jagan Mohan Reddy seeks the public’s support in the upcoming elections for the continuation of all the programmes.

He also takes the opportunity to target the leaders of the opposition parties, particularly TDP National President N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. Using the choicest epithets, he tears into the two parties. The ruling party also initiated programmes like Gadapa Gadapaku and Jagananna Suraksha in a bid to be amid the people ahead of the elections.

TDP gearing up for battle

Seeing an anti-incumbency wave in the state, the TDP is flexing its muscles to dethrone the YSRCP. Its chief Chandrababu Naidu, despite his advancing age, has been straining every nerve to rejuvenate the party cadre to come out with flying colours in the battle of the ballot. Touring the districts one after the other, the TDP supremo is trying to explain what he called the ‘misdeeds’ of the present government. Alleging that the YSRCP government has failed on all fronts, he calls upon the people to vote back TDP to power to steer the state on the path of progress.

On the other hand, his son, and TDP National General Secretary, Nara Lokesh, is on Padayatra to cover 125 constituencies spreading 4,000 km in the State. Aimed at highlighting the failures of the present regime, the walkathon, coined as Yuvagalam was launched on 27 January at Kuppam in Chittoor district, the assembly constituency being represented by his father. The young leader is already halfway through his yatra which he hopes will brighten the winning chances of the party in the elections.

JSP gaining strength

The Jana Sena Party, which reaped no political gains since its inception in 2014, seems to be emerging as a force to reckon with in the State with leaders of other parties showing interest in joining it ahead of the general elections. Like other parties, the JSP too has stepped up its activity to reach out to the people. Jana Sena’s campaign vehicle Varahi

With an agenda of preventing Jagan Mohan Reddy from coming to power again, Pawan Kalyan launched a broadside against the Chief Minister while addressing the well-attended public meetings during his yatra. While the first leg of the yatra was by and large peaceful, the second round raised a lot of political dust with the actor-turned-politician making certain remarks against the volunteer system.

While addressing a gathering in Eluru, Pawan Kalyan alleged that some volunteers have been collecting individual data from people, particularly girls and lonely women, and passing on the same to anti-social elements who indulge in human trafficking. Upping the ante against the JSP chief for his remarks, volunteers took to the streets seeking an apology from him. The YSRCP government, taking a serious view of what it called derogatory remarks, is planning to prosecute the JSP founder. As tempers run high hotting up the political atmosphere, the people of Andhra Pradesh are likely to witness a high-voltage drama during the coming elections.

Article written by Lakkoju Nagesh Babu, senior journalist and Column Editor.

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