VIJAYAWADA: The Opposition senses chinks in Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s armour and has upped the ante over different issues, be it the SSC question paper leaks or a series of crimes against women.
With KT Rama Rao, IT Minister of Telangana, too pointing fingers at the alleged bad roads and power supply, the main opposition TDP is on the offensive. But is Jagan’s teflon coating waning? Reliable sources confirmed to TNIE that YSRC’s internal surveys show 50-60 per cent public support across the State with the support hovering around 50 per cent in the East and West Godavari region. This isn’t much of a slide on the face of it. But if Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena, BJP and the TDP join forces, they can put up a stiff fight.
The surveys were conducted not by the YSRC cadre but a third party, the sources said, indicating they are more or less reliable. This explains the recent party rejig wherein Jagan appointed district presidents, and regional coordinators and warned legislators to be complacent at their own peril.
Outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy has been entrusted with the task of coordinating with regional coordinators and party district presidents while party general secretary and government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy has been tasked with coordinating with the legislators. The rejig coming as it did in the wake of the Cabinet reshuffle assumes significance since the latter gave rise to a public display of dissent by quite a few party leaders.
Against this backdrop, the question is whether YSRC is on the defensive. “It is true that there was dissent. Naturally, many had been hoping for a Cabinet berth and any reshuffle would end up disappointing some. But we have sorted it out. Everyone is solidly behind the CM,” Sajjala told TNIE.
He reasoned that the Chief Minister has consolidated the party among large sections of women, minorities, SCs, STs and BCs among others through the various welfare schemes.“The party legislators, too, have been cautioned and public outreach programmes have been chalked out to counter the TDP’s propaganda machine,” he said, adding that the opposition is using media in its favour to it to create the perception of a downward trend in YSRC’s support. “At the grassroots level, we have solid support,” he emphasised. Notwithstanding his confidence, the perception appears to be gaining ground at least among some sections.
“KT Rama Rao’s comments were not off-the-cuff. He was testing the waters to see if blaming Jagan could resonate among Andhra settlers in Hyderabad and other areas in Telangana. At least 20 Assembly segments have a substantial presence of Andhras in Telangana,” another YSRC leader on condition of anonymity told TNIE.
There is speculation that BJP-Jana Sena combine may join hands with the TDP in 2024 and those pushing for it actively are the TDP leadership and those who have defected to the BJP from the TDP after 2019. “BJP may not gain much in Andhra as they have a negligible presence. But a tie-up with TDP could benefit the BJP in Telangana. And, Jana Sena-TDP could stand to benefit in Andhra together rather than apart”, a source close to the TDP leadership said explaining the strategic moves of the TDP. But then, the BJP is a divided house with the original BJP leaders vehemently opposed to any truck with the TDP again. The BJP central leadership appears to be in a wait and watch mode for now.
Whatever shape the opposition takes, the ruling YSRC is counting on Jagan’s welfare schemes. “The Chief Minister has been very clear since the beginning. During Covid, we could have paused some schemes citing financial crunch but the CM would have none of it. He stuck to his word and that is his strength. The TDP may be making a mountain of a molehill but it has a poor record,” Sajjala said.
Replying to the incidents of crimes against women, he reiterated the party’s stand that the government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of women. At the same time, he said, during the TDP regime too many incidents took place.
“They are merely trying to malign the government though we are acting tough and bringing the perpetrators to book swiftly.” Asked if there is a possibility of disgruntled elements in the party playing spoilsport, Sajjala dismissed it outright, stressing that ultimately, everyone is loyal to Jagan and knows that the future is with the YSRC chief. He also discounted the possibility of any ego clashes within the party hierarchy. “The Chief Minister monitors everything. All of us have been working together for years,” he said, exuding confidence that no matter what, the party is well-positioned to take on the opposition.