VIJAYAWADA: ‘Give me one chance,’ he had implored the electorate, stressing at rally after rally that he ‘heard them and stands by them’ to alleviate their suffering. Walking in the footsteps of his father, the late YSR, he had invoked his memory during his historic 14-month long 3,641-km padayatra. On Thursday, as the results began trickling in, it became obvious that the people have indeed heard him.
Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy got what he had asked for and more. The 46-year-old’s YSRC beat all predictions to hand TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu the biggest defeat of his four-decade career. The YSRC stormed to power winning 151 of the 175 Assembly seats reducing the TDP to a pathetic 23.
Its performance in Lok Sabha constituencies was equally impressive. Bagging 22 of the 25 seats, it put paid to any hopes Naidu may have had of playing some role at least in Parliament. The TDP had to be content with just three seats. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, touted as a king-maker, couldn’t even make it to the Assembly, losing both Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram.
Even as his supporters erupted in joy, Jagan, conscious of people’s expectations, promised to prove himself a good CM in six months to one year. “This mandate comes with tremendous responsibility,” he said at a press conference at his residence in Tadipalli. “People saw the good governance of my father. I will repeat history... and rule in such a way that the country will look up to us. Many are asking me on what file will I sign first. I have seen first-hand people’s problems. We will implement all Navaratnas (promises made to the people),” he asserted. Jagan, who won from Pulivendula by 90,110 votes, will take oath on May 30 in Vijayawada. The YSRC Legislature Party will meet Saturday to formally elect him as the leader.
In contrast to the celebrations at the YSRC chief’s residence, the scene at Naidu’s house was sombre. Naidu faxed his resignation to Governor ESL Narasimhan in the evening and in a brief press statement congratulated Jagan, PM Modi and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. Without taking questions, he said he would review the results and let people know his future course of action. He appeared shocked. After all, 17 of his ministers, including his son Nara Lokesh, lost. Lokesh, who made his electoral debut this election in Mangalagiri, lost by 5,337 votes to YSRC’s Alla Ramakrishna Reddy. The challenge for 69-year-old Naidu, the longest serving CM of AP, would be to keep his flock together. The next five years could pose an existential crisis with Jagan having vowed to probe alleged corruption under the Naidu dispensation. Battling heavy incumbency, Naidu had banked on last-minute freebies to women and farmers to bail him out but the people did not take kindly to his repeated U-turns, and failure to keep his promises.
For Jagan, the challenge is of a different kind. Naidu’s profligacy has ensured an empty treasury. To implement all his promises is Mission Impossible. As per estimates, he would need anything from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 4 lakh crore. The State, burdened with up to Rs 3 lakh crore debts, can ill-afford it. His promise to get special status to the State too appears impossible with the BJP, which denied it, retaining power at the Centre.