APLAT deals a big blow to ruling YSRCP in polls

Nellore: The Andhra Pradesh Land Titling Act (APLAT) enacted by the YSRCP has damaged the prospects of the ruling party in the just concluded Assembly elections, the results of which will be announced on June 4.

This has dealt a big blow to the YSRCP which was already suffering due to severe anti-incumbency among people. TDP national president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu exposed the flaws in the Act during the election campaign (Praja Galam public meetings) cross the State. Landlords and farmers in villages were scared over the implementation of the Act and had withdrawn their support to the ruling party in the polls.

This particular scenario has been witnessed in Kovuru, Sarvepalle, Atmakuru and Kavali Assembly constituencies as an acre of the fertile land (Sagu Bhoomi) cultivated under reservoirs and irrigation canals costs Rs 1 crore and dry land (Metta Bhumi) growing crops under rain-fed tanks costs Rs 25 lakh to 30 lakh.

Advocates filed suit against the Act in the High Court stating that the Act would badly hit the farmers, traders and other communities.

A ruling party leader on the condition of anonymity told that about 15 to 20 per cent of votes which belong to the YSRCP shifted to TDP as the landlords from the Reddy community who have extended outright support to Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2019 elections, now stayed away from the YSRCP.

Three members from a weaver’s family who belonged to Madhavaram village in Vontimitta mandal in YSR district had committed suicide due to the implementation of APLAT. Naidu expressed severe concern over the loss caused to the weaver’s family due to the Act and promised to extend full support to the lone survivor in the family, the elder daughter of the weaver.

An advocate said that under APLAT, the government has to deploy an official to monitor the land issues at village level so that the original landowner need not approach a court. He opined that this kind of procedure would only lead to irregularities as the leaders representing the ruling party are likely to exert pressure on the official.

Once the dispute is resolved at the village-level, the beneficiary would receive the document containing the picture of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The stones planted to mark the border of the land would also have the picture of Jagan.

The advocate points out that the TDP has been successful in denting the image of the ruling party among the people for implementation of such an Act during the election campaign and it has derived the advantage.

The opposition party’s campaign against the YSRCP on the Act has caused maximum damage to the ruling party.