TD win in MLC polls proves CM’s political acumen

Naidu ensures victory in Kadapa at all costs in belief that it sets off a trend that Jagan’s base is fast eroding; winning streak runs through Kurnool and Nellore

All is fair in love and war. Also in politics. This is an accepted principle all over the world though it may be at variance with the established canons of morality and ethics.

There is no denying the fact that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is a seasoned gladiator in the art of political warfare. In winning a war, one uses a number of tactics - in fact there have been volumes written on warcraft. The principles that apply in warfare also hold good in politics and that is what Naidu has done in winning the election of MLCs from all the nine local authority constituencies in the State.

To win a game of nerves, one has to reduce the opponent to a bundle of nerves. That is what Naidu has done while approaching the MLC election in Kadapa. As it is YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s home turf, Naidu wanted to begin his expedition from there, vanquishing his enemy on his soil. As elections were nearing, Naidu called his generals and told them clearly that they have to win Kadapa seat, come what may, indicating that the end always justifies the means in politics.

R Prithvi Raj
Assistant Resident Editor, Vijayawada
raj@newIndianexpress.com

He sent his trusted lieutenants - MLC Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and Human Resource Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao - to Rayalaseema heartland where MP CM Ramesh joined their ranks in systematically breaking the strong armour that Jagan Mohan Reddy has built around himself. As winning Kadapa will have a great impact on the people across the State and even in the nation, Naidu wanted the seat at all costs like a trophy in a tournament as it is likely to set off a trend that Jagan Mohan Reddy is on the way out.

In fact, when the elections were announced for nine MLC seats, the YSRC did not field its candidates for six of them with the result that even before beginning of the war, Naidu had won in six seats. That left three - Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore. As far as Kadapa was concerned, Jagan Mohan Reddy was never in doubt, in fact all analysts had listed Kadapa in his kitty. YSR’s family had never lost any election in Kadapa for more than five decades, and denting this edifice was a challenge.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, to make sure that he would win the seat, had his paternal uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy file the nomination papers, as he hoped that his father’s charisma would make sure that the voters in the constituency would support his uncle. But that was not to be. On the day of reckoning, Vivekananda Reddy lost to a political upstart BTech Ravi.

How did Naidu pull off this sensational victory? As results trickled in, this was the question upper most on the minds of the people everywhere. Naidu from the word go, took Kadapa very seriously. He used to call meetings with Kadapa leaders frequently and tell them that it was non-negotiable. He is understood to have told them that he never bothered how they win the seat, as long as they do. He also used to lace his pep talk with veiled warnings that if they report failure, they would be going so at their peril.

The TDP generals spanned out in Kadapa district in December itself, first to consolidate the TDP voters in the constituency as there was a possibility of the YSRC trying to poach them. Since the YSRC has majority of votes in the constituency, the TDP men used other tricks of winning the hearts of voters. They reached out to them and managed to land them on their side. 

Trick that the TDP played was to make sure that Jagan Mohan Reddy would not have any doubt that he was losing his base - a tactic of subterfuge - used in war to make the enemy stay in illusion that he is safe and strong until it is too late. Political chicanery that the TDP war horses used paid off - Jagan Mohan Reddy came to know that he was losing only on the day of polling.

He cried hoarse that those who won on symbols other than the TDP in local body elections had voted for the party candidate in the MLC elections, which was a clear signal that he was conceding defeat. BTech Ravi vanquished the invincible YSRC nominee Vivekananda Reddy with a margin of over 30 votes.

Victory streak which began in Kadapa ran through neighbouring Kurnool and Nellore too, where the TDP won the remaining two seats, though Jagan Mohan Reddy at one stage had allowed himself the luxury of hope that he may win them as the number of his voters was close to magic figure for winning in both the places. Interestingly, in Kurnool, though several YSRC leaders had joined the TDP, all their followers did not, which was the reason given for the reduction in majority for TDP candidate Silpa Mohan Reddy, sitting MLC. Mohan Reddy who won the election two years ago with a majority of 126 votes, now got only 63 votes which points to the fact that had TDP not made Herculean efforts, factionism in the district might have eroded its base much more.

In Nellore too, the same kind of sophistry was used by the TDP in luring voters to its camp and protecting them till the Day of Judgement. As Chandramohan Reddy was busy in Kadapa, P Narayana, a minister of enormous influence and resources, was given the charge of Nellore mission. The TDP fielded sitting MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy, who joined the TDP from the Congress as he has his own following. This apart, Narayana had spared no efforts to see that cross voting takes place with the result that Vakati emerged victorious, trouncing Anam Vijaya Kumar Reddy of the YSRC.

By winning all the nine seats, Naidu has proved beyond doubt that he is an ardent disciple of Machiavelli, who believes that craft, and not might, alone wins a war.


R Prithvi Raj
Assistant Resident Editor, Vijayawada
raj@newIndianexpress.com

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