The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 has led to economic and political turbulence for the residual state. As Andhra’s Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu grappled with building a new state infrastructure, he lost the 2019 election to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress. Andhra politics is now a four-way battle, including Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party.
Bifurcation in 2014
The controversial bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana in 2014, initiated by the Congress-led UPA II government at the Centre, has had mixed results for both states. Telangana had its own set of challenges. However, the newly residual state of Andhra faced the brunt of economic and financial uncertainty, as the unified state’s largest city of Hyderabad, its largest revenue generator, went to Telangana. Andhra retained the second and third-largest cities of Vishakapatnam and Vijayawada.
While Telangana’s politics centred mainly around the newly victorious Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) party, claiming success in the fight for bifurcation and the creation of Telangana, Andhra’s politics have played out on the shaky grounds of loss and uncertainty. The party that won the first election of the new state of Andhra, Chandrababu Naidu‘s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), had its work cut out for the first term. It had to draw up a new charter for the new residual state from the ground up, as it did not have a capital city yet. The state’s people pinned their hopes on Naidu, given his track record as the man behind Hyderabad’s meteoric progress, development and expansion and his reputation for digitization and governance.
Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP
Naidu’s job wasn’t an easy one. With no administrative infrastructure in place – everything from a legislature building to a capital city, high court, administrative offices, police quarters and a long list of other requirements for the functioning of a state had to be ideated, planned and implemented. Known as a man with a vision and a progressive mindset, Naidu’s ambitious plans for the new state of Andhra Pradesh needed time, effort and patience. While the educated sections of society understood this, most from the lower classes did not. The second election in the new state in 2019 turned his fortunes around.
Naidu lost his previous 2014 victory to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), a spin off from the Congress party (INC). Reddy rode to power on a wave of welfare schemes, sops for the lower classes, significant minority appeasement promises and caste-based politics that resulted in a divided Hindu vote. In contrast, a majority of Muslims and almost a hundred per cent of Christians voted for Reddy, whose family is of converted Christian stock.
BJP
Unlike Telangana, which now has a note-worthy BJP presence in its own right, Andhra does not have a stand-alone BJP presence. It hopes to improve its tally in the state, in which its presence and influence is still small despite strategic alliances. Interestingly, the state’s BJP was in partnership with the previous TDP party in power, with blessings from the BJP top brass, but made its displeasure clear when TDP leader and previous Andhra Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu campaigned against it in neighbouring South Indian states, after his frustrated attempts at requesting the BJP Central government to grant Special Status to the newly created state of Andhra.
With relations going sour between the TDP and the BJP over the request of Special Status for the state and Naidu’s attempt at bringing a “third front” together, Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP was able to cash in and accomplish electoral gains in the 2019 Andhra state elections. Jagan Reddy’s criminal record and imprisonment did not deter him from ambitions of electoral victory. Reddy has a whopping 31 cases against him that he continues to seek legal council for. He has spent 16 months in jail, after the CBI arrested him on embezzlement charges and the Supreme Court refused his plea for bail.
Pawan Kalyan
Aside from the political outfits of the TDP, BJP, and YSRCP, Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan‘s entry into Andhra politics makes it a four-way content for electoral victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Pawan Kalyan is a famous Telugu actor and the brother of yesteryear Tollywood hero, “megastar” Chiranjeevi. Pawan Kalyan’s political party, the JSP (Jana Sena Party) was launched in 2014 and hopes to reap rewards in 2024 after ten years on the sidelines.
The JSP has been gaining momentum in the state and has been in the news lately for Pawan Kalyan’s vocal criticism of Jagan Reddy’s policies and the BJP leadership’s interest in a possible tie-up with his party. In this context, the recent meeting between PM Modi and Pawan Kalyan in Vishakapatnam assumes some significance.
Alliance Possibilities
The BJP and the Jana Sena party (JSP) have been in touch for a while now. Still, the intent of a formal political relationship between the two parties hasn’t always been clear, as the BJP exercises restraint in its comments and reactions to events unfolding in the state. The BJP appears to be on agreeable terms with the current YSRCP dispensation in Andhra and may not be inclined to overtly support the Jana Sena Party on the one hand and the YSRCP on the other. Naidu’s TDP and Pawan Kalyan’s JSP are strong critics of what many in Andhra see as an authoritarian, fiscally irresponsible rule of Reddy’s YSRCP government. In recent times, Naidu and Pawan Kalyan have come together and stood united for what they claim to be the State’s interests against Reddy’s misule, corruption and financial irregularities.
The BJP’s stance on current events in Andhra politics and its possible alliance with the JSP or any others is yet unclear as it chooses to play it safe by refusing to endorse a formal allegiance with any of the Andhra parties. At a time when the BJP-Jana Sena Party alliance in Andhra Pradesh seems cloudy and lacks the transparency that the JSP’s supporters are seeking, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have met with and talked to the actor and JSP president, Pawan Kalyan into keeping their ambiguous relationship intact, at least for the time being. On a recent two-day visit to the Andhra coastal city of Vishakapatnam, P.M Modi invited Pawan Kalyan for a meeting, and the duo reportedly spent over half an hour together. What transpired between them remains a mystery, but Andhra’s political observers have speculated.
Chiranjeevi
Incidentally, at the opening ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Sunday, Pawan Kalyan’s elder brother, film star Chiranjeevi, was selected for the “Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022” award, announced by Union Minister, Anurag Thakur. Chiranjeevi as well as his fans were overwhelmed after the announcement which was followed by Modi’s congratulatory message. While interacting with the media on the occasion, Chiranjeevi alluded to his stint in Andhra politics and stated that unlike him, his brother Pawan Kalyan would succeed in politics and “could reach great heights with the people’s blessings”.
Conclusion
The BJP and the Jana Sena’s informal partnership appears to be back on track for now, even after the latest BJP move. Alliances are still up for grabs as Andhra inches towards the next state elections scheduled to be held in or before June 2024.
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