Even as electioneering reaches a crescendo in Kadapa, the charges of corruption against former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy have been kept under wraps, while the Congress fights to project itself as the rightful heir of his political legacy before the electorate of the district.
Meanwhile, the mother-son combination’s fulcrum of campaign has been the welfare schemes of
YSR who passed away as a ‘true’ Congress leader.
This is where the Congress differed very much and objected to YS Jaganmohan Reddy using his father’s political clout/ Congress influence.
Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, who won the previous Lok Sabha election on the Congress ticket, had polled over 5.6 lakh votes. Telugu Desam Party’s MV Mysoora Reddy had also polled over 3.5 lakh votes while actor-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi’s freshly launched Praja Rajyam Party’s candidate captured less than one lakh votes in 2009 General Elections.
Now the Congress is hoping against hope that its vote bank is more or less safe as Mr Jaganmohan Reddy has lost grounds after he resigned from the party.
This is an extremely interesting by-election, perhaps one of its kind in the whole of the subcontinent, as such a situation had not arisen anywhere.
The entire focus has been on Kadapa and who will make it past the winner’s post.
While YSR Congress leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy is fighting almost a ‘lone’ battle against a National ruling party at both Centre and the state with full government machinery at their disposal against his father’s bête noir, and now his arch rival Dr D L Ravindra Reddy.
Dr Ravindra Reddy is also state Health and Medical Minister has the full backing of state and the Central leaders who have taken the Kadapa by-poll as a prestige issue.
Over 10,500 security forces have been dumped in the district.
For every polling station two or three armed Jawans would take care of the booths. Still, political observers refuse to rule out rigging.
Indications were let out that Congress party, under the High Command directions, has been moving earth and heaven to destabilize the lone fighter who has been armed with no teeth except the allegedly ill-gotten ‘money’ bags in abundance.
The Rayalaseema voter is different from his counterparts placed elsewhere. The Rayalaseema
voter’s awareness is by no means less, nor can he be underestimated.
As of now, the voter in Kadapa enjoys the full support of entire government, if the indications that have been given to him are to be taken.
The Congress has been trying every trick in the book, and some that are not seen in any manual, to wean away the voters from Mr Jaganmohan Reddy.
Former chief minister K Rosaiah has been roped in to attract the Vysya voters, who number around one lakh in the district. Mr Rosaiah is being helped by another Minister TG Venkatesh in this effort to get the Vysyas under Congress’ influence.
Pockets of minority population in Jammalamadugu and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies and elsewhere in the district were also said to be influenced by the Congress party which always banked on them.
On the other hand, it is no wonder if the TDP’s fair nominee Dr MV Mysoora Reddy splits the votes.
As for Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, he has projected his entire campaign as a fight between the self respect of Andhra Pradesh and the injustice of New Delhi, between credibility and opportunism.
Mr Jaganmohan Reddy had resigned from the Congress and the Lok Sabha in November 2010, after alleging that he was being humiliated and stopped from fulfilling the promise of consoling the families of those who had died in the aftermath of his father and former chief minister YS Rajeskhara Reddy’s death in a helicopter crash.
It is being whispered that both the Congress and the TDP have joined hands to defeat Mr Jaganmohan Reddy.
This way the TDP may as well improve its tally and romp home with a win if the voters are fed up with the father-son issue and the Congress and opt to go in for a change in the given situation.
The Congress and TDP will see eye to eye over such a progress.
The Chiranjeevi factor may not cut much ice, say analysts. What his PRP polled in 2009 elections was anti-Congress votes. It matters little if he crossed floors, say his detractors.
A crowd puller once with the megastar tag, Mr Chiranjeevi may not be able to influence the voters much in the district which has become a cauldron.