AP heading for early polls?

Vijayawada: Is Andhra Pradesh heading for early polls? Political circles are agog with this speculation particularly in view of the recent fast-changing developments in the state following the arrest of Leader of Opposition and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu earlier in September.

The Opposition parties claim that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would plead with the Centre to see that the Assembly polls were held along with Telangana in November when he meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday.

The YSRCP, however, refutes this and said that it was not the ruling party that was scared but it is the Opposition which is jittery. The YSRCP is aiming for 175, the party leaders said. They say the very fact that Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday said that he had tied up with the TDP because the party had become weak shows the ground situation. They said for the sake of TDP, Pawan had even announced that he was out of the NDA.

On the other hand, Pawan Kalyan reacted saying that YSRCP’s baseless outburst was a clear indication that they are losing power in the state. He said they need not bother whether Jana Sena was with the NDA or not. They talk more about the Jana Sena-TDP alliance, because they are getting much worried about the Opposition unity day by day, he said. Pawan said that the main purpose of the visit of Jagan Mohan Reddy to Delhi was not to get funds for the state but to plead with the Centre to allow him to go in for early polls.

Meanwhile, the Left parties too are now contemplating to join the Jana Sena-TDP alliance provided Pawan Kalyan keeps the BJP out. At the same time, they say that it was interesting to note that though Jana Sena and BJP have been in alliance partners for the last four years, never did the cadre of the two parties participate in any agitation but now the Jana Sena and TDP cadre are actively participating in each other’s programmes.