Kuppam: YSRCP plans to cash in on Chandrababu Naidu arrest

Kuppam (Chittoor district) : Ever since the YSRCP government came to power in 2019, apart from other activities, one of its main focuses was to make a political showdown in TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s constituency Kuppam with a view to win this seat at any cost. The success in the local bodies and Kuppam municipal elections have bolstered the confidence of the ruling party leaders who are now channelling their efforts into gaining an upper hand in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Leaving no stone unturned, the YSRCP is now aiming to capitalise on TDP chief Naidu’s arrest and subsequent judicial custody. They are embarking on a door-to-door campaign in the constituency to explain the entire ‘skill scam’ episode to the people, countering the daily protests by TDP cadres in support of their leader for the past 25 days. Their objective is to shed light on how the scam transpired and how Naidu came to be implicated, with the intention of tarnishing his image in the constituency he has represented since 1989.

Simultaneously, the party has been continuing its efforts to make an impact in the constituency. Recently, YSRCP MP representing Rajampet constituency PV Mithun Reddy personally paid the gate fees to the Kuppam municipality on behalf of the roadside vendors who hold a substantial voter base in the area. They need to pay the fee to the municipality to run their businesses which is common in any other civic body. Notably, this gesture occurred while Naidu was in judicial custody.

Additionally, it has come to light that the ruling party has issued approximately 15,000 land pattas as part of the Housing for All scheme, in addition to distributing over 35,000 welfare pensions, with an additional 4,000 pensioners added during this government’s tenure. Furthermore, there are approximately 53,000 Amma Vodi beneficiaries in the constituency.

Ruling party leaders have been actively engaging in grassroots campaigns to personally connect with various voter segments. It is evident that the YSRCP’s activities have intensified at a time when TDP leaders and supporters were preoccupied with organising relay fasts and were somewhat demoralised due to their leader’s arrest. While they recognise the significance of the current situation, they might be desperately looking for a motivating factor.

There is speculation that Naidu’s spouse, Bhuvaneswari, may soon launch her bus yatra from the Kuppam constituency, although there has been no official confirmation regarding its schedule. Given the present situation, it appears interesting to see who will gain upper hand finally in the next Assembly elections in Naidu’s strong political bastion.