Andhra CM disproves election frenzy all the time as it hits growth
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intention to hold simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and Assemby by December next year may be politically motivated, but it beats one why Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu too is plumping for it.
Naidu is very vocal when he said he subscribed to Modi’s idea of one nation - one election immediately after the Prime Minister set the ball rolling at the governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog.
Soon after the NITI Aayog meeting and also a couple of days later in Vijayawada, Naidu said he did not see anything wrong with simultaneous elections. He, in fact, wanted even the municipal elections be clubbed with them and felt that it would be good for democracy if the entire election exercise is over in a span of six months.
Assistant Resident Editor,
Vijayawada
raj@newIndianexpress.com
“At any given point of time, we have elections in one part of the nation or the other. It looks as though a political party has to prove its credentials too frequently. It is like asking Sita Devi to undergo chastity test not once but every time an election is announced,” Naidu said, disapproving the idea of election frenzy continuing all through the time between two Parliament elections.
“We can, then, concentrate on development. In the present scheme of things, we are in election mode always which is hampering development,” he said.
Interestingly, his son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh did not favour simultaneous elections because he believes there would be too many imponderables in the way.
But no one thinks Naidu is so naive not to know that simultaneous elections are a dicey game for a regional party. In simultaneous elections, generally the party which is in power at the Centre, would get favourable mandate in the Assembly polls too, edging out the regional parties in the State.
Critics of simultaneous elections believe that it is a surreptitious attack on federal character of the nation. According to sources, Naidu’s thinking in favour of simultaneous elections could be due to the fact that since BJP is not a major force in the State, he does not see any threat to his existence. On top of this, if he continues to toe Modi’s line, he might earn more brownie points with him as his support is sine qua non for him to build the State. The twin major projects - Polavaram and Amaravati - are proving to be drags.
Naidu may not be able to reach anywhere near their completion by 2018 end when the State might go in for elections if Modi strikes the iron while it is hot and implements his scheme of simultaneous polls as he is now riding the crest of nation wide popularity for his development mantra, subtly tempered in Hindutva soporific.
According to sources in the TDP, Naidu would not gain anything if he differs with Modi. But being nice to Modi might help him in the long run and in fact in the Assembly polls too - who knows Modi’s mojo in AP might come in handy in neutralising anti-incumbency factor that is sure to develop as Naidu approaches the elections and for silencing YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s din, who is baying for Naidu’s blood.
For the time being, Naidu does not appear to be flustered by BJP chief Amit Shah’s new found enthusiasm in making an insurrection into south of Vindhyas because the saffron party has little traction in AP. But Naidu may have to sacrifice more number of MP seats for Modi this time, since the BJP without any question will raise the bar several levels higher for him in return for continuing its electoral alliance.
The BJP national leadership is not indulging in bad-mouthing Naidu since the saffron party is keen on staying with him in the next elections too. If there were outbursts by State BJP leaders against Naidu, it is on account of the compulsions of the local factors.
If BJP national leader D Purandeswari pounces on Naidu at every opportunity, the reason is known to everyone - she has personal scores to settle with him. But the party line as of now is clear - sail with Naidu and the TDP supremo is comfortable with it as he needs the light from supernova that Modi has now, to improve his prospects of returning to power.
Unlike the Congress in Telangana which is facing existential crisis, in Andhra Pradesh, the YSRC is a potent force and therefore Naidu would want to utilise every opportunity to confine Jagan to Opposition benches. Since the Congress still remains dead as a dodo, he does not have to worry about it much. But he cannot ignore Jagan factor as no one knows for whom the bell finally tolls.