FROM ‘END OF ROAD’ TO HISTORIC VICTORY

You like him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him. The first chief minister of residuary state of Andhra Pradesh posted this picture soon after completion of campaign for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2019. Soon, begins a barrage of cynical, satirical jeers of ‘bye bye babu’.

Then came the D-Day. It’s rout, leaving only 23 seats in TDP’s kitty. Every journalist worth his salt scribbled political obituary to the veteran leader. ‘END Of ROAD TO NAIDU’, is the common refrain. Then began a series of humiliations, inside and outside House. He was not allowed to open his mouth. Bloodhounds were unleased on him.

The ultimate moment of insult was when his family members were dragged into discourse. Most aggressive members of ruling party, in their sick eagerness to please the boss, cast aspersion on his wife and other female members, which led to his breaking down in full glare of cameras. Even his crying visage has been made into memes and displayed with sadistic pleasure.

And then, it is a series of criminal cases. Wild allegations of corruption. Bizarre charges of collusion. Ridiculous charges of plots to loot the state. All culminated in arrest on September 9, 2023. Denied even basic facilities expected for a 73-year-old former CM, he had to knock the doors of one court after another for even an air cooler and anti-mosquito gear.

His jailing triggered spontaneous tears, cries and protests across the state, in neighbouring states and even distant cities in US where techies felt they owed him their education and career.

After 53 days of incarceration, he was released to a tumultuous and emotional welcome. It took a whopping 13 HOURS for his convoy to reach his residence in Undavalli from Rajahmundry central jail with people at many places stopping his vehicle and greeting him, cheering him, showing him and displaying their relief at his release.

It may not have been realised by the power-that-be, most analysts concluded on seeing the mass of people that turned out to greet him on their own after his release sealed the fate of YSRCP. The rest is history. His arrest and jailing cemented the bond between TDP and Jana Sena, with the latter bringing in BJP into a coalition.