Advantage TDP, at least for now

Telugu Desam MPs, on arrival in Vijayawada on Sunday, were given a hero’s welcome. The party workers vied with one another to felicitate them. As floral petals kept falling on them in showers of confetti, the workers positioned a floral crown on industrialist-turned MP Galla Jayadev for fighting with the BJP and raising the voice of Andhra in Parliament for securing what is due to the state.

There was no rest to the drama that unfolded in Parliament for the last one week with MPs suddenly feeling very angry and upset with the BJP for not honoring the promises made in the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014 and several other assurances that were made including special package.

The Opposition Congress, however, compared the MPs’ fight with BJP leaders as one like the western wrestling matches that are played out to impress the viewers. The Congress felt that since elections were not very far away, the TDP was trying to find a punching bag.

It is true that the objective of any political party is to remain and continue in power and it is no different with the Telugu Desam and its members’ valiant fight tells he is discerning citizens their desperate attempt to convince the people that they were not at fault if what had been promised had not materialised. After bifurcation of the sate in 2014, the people had only two choices before them, the TDP and the YSRC to choose from.

As the truncated state looked like a torso writhing in pain with head having been cut off, the people had reposed faith in Naidu that with his long experience as the chief minister in the past would fit the bill for the gigantic task of reconstruction of the state.

But Naidu of 2014 is a much-disadvantaged leader compared to Naidu of 1999 when the survival of the BJP government at the centre was at his mercy.  But now the BJP does not need his support and its friendship with TDP is more out of civility rather by any compulsion.

But BJP’s friendship is crucial for Naidu as he has to get funding for various projects for the state. He tried to be in good books with the BJP. He gave two berths in his cabinet for BJP legislators, but Modi reciprocated similar gesture, leaving Naidu with no edge.

Then when Rajya Sabha elections came along, he offered one berth from AP to Suresh Prabhu, so that the balance would tilt in his favour.  The TDP camp expected that as Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu, would make the much-awaited announcement on railway zone. But he did not. What all he did was to acknowledge the generosity of the TDP in sending him to Rajya Sabha, repaid his gratitude by sanctioning few trains.

At the end of nearly four years, except the temporary secretariat buildings that had come up in Velagapudi, there was not much Naidu could boast off as far as Amaravati is concerned. It is unfortunate that even designs have not been finalised.  

Polavaram too is fast turning out to be a dud with funds flow having been reduced to a trickle. In fact, this issue has sown the seeds of dissension in the TDP which erupted in full-blown brawls in Parliament. As the TDP MPs began hitting out at the BJP, the saffron party leader in AP Somu Veeraraju ruffled the TDP feathers by launching a pincer attack on Naidu.

Only yesterday, BJP state president  K Haribabu issued a 27 page-note, disputing all the claims of the TDP MPs that the centre was showing step-motherly treatment. He contended that 85 per cent of the bifurcation assurances had been addressed.

It is now being hotly debated whether the TDP is inciting the BJP into  wrestling contests. If it forces the centre into making categorical promises, it could be projected as it victory and if not, it could always play victim.

Naidu did not step out alliance as he knows that if he stays and fights, it would carry more credibility rather than coming out of NDA and taking a belligerent posture. This line of action had even prompted NIzamabad MP K Kavitha advising the BJP not to prolong the issue of honoring commitments made in the AP State Reorganisation Act.

She cautioned the BJP that it would work counterproductive by sending wrong signals that the BJP was not treating its allies with respect. Though Kavitha had her own reasons for raising the bifurcation act since promises made to Telangana too are still pending, the fact remains that she had pointed out a grey area in the TDP-BJP relations.

The MPs’ agitation, under the guidance of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ,has not yet yielded any tangible benefit except “leaks” that the NDA had buckled under TDP’s pressure and was offering one goodie after another.

Except vague a statement which Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made twice in Rajya Sabha and once in Lok Sabha, no announcement of any time bound programme on contentious issues the MPs had raised had been made. It remains to be seen if Naidu would go to the extent of pulling the plug and walk out of alliance or make the Centre fall in line. Either way it would be beneficial for Naidu.

By R Prithvi Raj