It is an elimination round, a senior Congress leader explained the other day, as the topic of our conversation inevitably veered towards the impending Munugode by-election. This is a unique situation where neither Congress, which is the main Opposition, nor the ruling TRS wants the bypoll.
It is the surging saffron party that has forced this election by poaching the sitting Congress legislator for a reason.
An outright victory could place it in pole position for the assembly polls next year, and even if it comes second, it could acquire bragging rights of being the sole challenger to the TRS. The same cannot be said of Congress. A loss to the TRS and BJP in the bypoll could effectively mean a knockout punch – which is exactly what the veteran leader was referring to. It is not a slam dunk for the TRS either.
In power for over eight years, the K Chandrasekhar Rao government is facing headwinds. It is but natural to face anti-incumbency when a party nears the end of its second consecutive term in office.
Yes, the government has something to show for its years in power, most notably 24/7 power supply, promotion of the brand Hyderabad, and drastic improvement in irrigation, notwithstanding allegations of corruption in major projects. Nonetheless, there are major issues that are fueling resentment in rural and urban areas.
The Chief Minister, as is well-known, is inaccessible with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar acting as his trusted lieutenant. “Some IAS officers are given several important departments each. They hardly have breathing space while many others hardly have any work!” bemoans an officer on condition of anonymity.
The Chief Secretary is said to have an eye for detail and is seen as a go-getter by the Chief Minister. “But the administration cannot run smoothly this way,” another officer says in private. Many files keep piling up or in some cases, simply returned.
This does affect the administration as public grievances remain unresolved. The officers are also afraid of being caught in the ongoing cross-fire between the Centre and the State. “We are looked at as untouchables in Delhi,” lamented an officer regretting the current state of affairs.
A senior BJP leader from the Centre with direct access to the top leadership revealed that a few top babus are so jittery that they are knocking on the doors of saffron leaders to know what Union Home Minister Amit Shah is up to.
The fear coupled with simmering discontent is further compounded by ‘political interference’. Local leaders, in particular some legislators, are reportedly bringing pressure for approvals pertaining to real estate both in the districts and Hyderabad. This is not so uncommon.
But beyond a point, forget about officials, this leads to disenchantment among the people. In Hyderabad, IT Minister KT Rama Rao’s charm and hands-on approach filters a lot of negativity but is that enough?
However, compared to the Dharani portal, these issues are insignificant. Dharani is the big elephant in the room. For the uninitiated, it is a portal launched by the State government to clean up land records and ensure there are no more land disputes. Ironically, it may end up achieving the exact opposite.
Every other day, there are reports of common people in rural areas running from pillar to post to get their land records in their name on the portal. In many cases, land titles are being changed by local officials in connivance with local leaders, admits an insider.
“For example in Nalgonda district, it is my belief that at least 40 per cent of farmers are in trouble. This is one of the biggest reasons for the rising anger against the government,” he explains.
Schemes such as the Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu may be successful but surely, not enough to tilt the scales decisively in favour of the TRS. KCR has hired the famed Prashant Kishor team to turn the tide but they can only add that extra zing to the party’s existing strength and blunt the opposition onslaught but cannot change public perception at the grassroots if the administration fails to plug teething problems.
Sensing the anti-incumbency winds, the BJP has stepped up its game. If the State BJP is reaching out to the people on a massive scale, the Central leadership is busy doing, what it is now adept at. Letting loose law enforcement agencies to deter, corner, isolate and erode further the credibility of the TRS. And, of course, weaken its financial muscle.
So, the natural query is why is KCR keen on launching a national party rather than setting his house in order. Where is the time for groundwork in other States when the party itself is wobbling in the State? For instance, failure in Munugode could be a devastating blow. Hope is not a strategy. It won’t work if regional parties come together only on an anti-Modi plank, a TRS leader agreed. Even if they do, it is doubtful if other regional leaders such as Nitish, Stalin, et al are on the same page as KCR. Far more important is the Congress question.
It looks like KCR, who first made his mark in the TDP, is walking in the footsteps of his one-time colleague N Chandrababu Naidu. But, unlike the former chief minister of AP, the TRS chief, for now, appears to have a good chance of retaining power. If he does fall short of a majority, he might have no option but to cosy up to Congress. Well, that is a story for another day.