Desperate race for one-upmanship

With two weeks left for polls in Telangana and couple of months in Andhra Pradesh, politicians seem to be dreaming very high. Don’t be under the mistaken impression that the dream is about how to change the quality of life of people but how to elevate themselves to new positions.

In Andhra Pradesh, two young leaders Pawan and Jagan are dreaming and are equally confident of becoming the Chief Ministers. AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is aiming to topple the Modi government and the bug to play crucial role in national politics after general elections seems to have bitten the TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao once again. 

While time will tell if whose dreams will be fulfilled and to what extent, the political scenario in Telangana is showing a shift from war being one sided to a real battle. It now appears that both sides - the ruling party and Opposition alliance - will have to sweat it out during the next 15 days.

The TRS which felt that it would be a cakewalk when it dissolved the Assembly is showing some symptoms of nervousness. This has resulted in Naidu bashing and in the process the people are missing fiery speeches laden with native wit and punch of Chandrashekar Rao. 

The new strategy adopted by Chandrashekar Rao, his son K T Rama Rao and other leaders is blame it on Naidu. For delay in bifurcation of High Court blame Naidu, if your village has not got water blame Naidu, if Kaleshwaram project is delayed hold him responsible.

It is a rather peculiar situation. On one hand, the TRS claims that it has done wonders in four-and-a-half years and has made the new State number one in the country and the fruits of the efforts made by the government are there to see.

In the same breadth, it says that there is looming threat of the Congress-led alliance which is guided by Naidu playing spoilsport and can undo all that has been done by the TRS government if the Congress alliance is voted to power.  

While this could be a strategy to rake up sentiment, what needs to be analysed is why is the TRS showing signs of nervousness if it is confident of winning 100 seats hands down as they claim. Let’s assume that winning 100 seats slogan is a mind game and let us also assume that the TRS is still very strong and on its own can win at least 70 seats out of 119.

Then why should it feel worried about the game plan of the Congress led Mahakutami? Apparently, it has started realising that there is undercurrent of dissatisfaction among people particularly among the job aspirants. They feel that the government had failed to live up to their expectations. The much-hyped two-bedroom housing scheme also has left many disappointed.

The plus points are some of the schemes like hike in widows’ pension and Rythu Bandhu scheme which definitely will help the TRS as the beneficiaries may prefer the pink party.

This election is also trying to bring caste factor to the forefront. The Congress is trying to claim that the TRS has marginalised the Reddy community. The TRS claims that they have given adequate representation to them in Assembly and in the Cabinet and for Chandrashekar Rao, caste, religion and sex do not matter.

For him, development is the only mantra. Well, this sounds as music to ears during political speeches and debates but is it so in reality? Can the TRS say that it has given tickets without taking these issues into consideration? Certainly not.

Other disturbing factors for the TRS is the Opposition campaign that the TRS has colluded with Modi and the resignation of Konda Visweshwar Reddy from the TRS and his decision to join the Congress.

This has led to the Congress claiming that at least two or three more MPs and some important leaders like former TNGO leader and chairman of the Legislative Council Swamy Goud too would be quitting the TRS. It could be a mind game being played by the Congress.  But the silence being maintained by most of these leaders gives rise to doubts that all is not well. 

Hence the pink party has now resorted to some midway correction. For the first time, Chandrashekar Rao targeted the Prime Minister and charged that the BJP leader had a Hindu-Muslim disease.

The BJP and the Congress have tried to show their supremacy over the States. It remains to be seen as to what extent people will buy this argument. The reality which perhaps Chandrashekar Rao also knows is that forming a non-BJP non-Congress front is a pipedream.