The BJP’s electoral strategy for the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is an interesting mix of tact and compromise while maintaining its own distinct identity and position, in terms of what it stands for – a blend of Indian cultural pride reflecting the nation’s past and the right economic decisions reflective of the nation’s futuristic ambitions.
In both Telangana and Andhra, the BJP has a comfortable relationship with the current party leaders in power – the Congress’s Revanth Reddy and the YSRCP’s Jagan Reddy respectively. Its election strategy in both states is not one of confrontation with the current leaders. The BJP’s strategy appears to be one of reasonable understanding and agreement with the regional powers when and where possible, thus enabling an amicable working relationship beneficial to both the BJP and the state government. It will help the BJP grow its presence in these states slowly but steadily while also ensuring that the elected state governments do not oppose certain central government policies, just for the sake of opposing.
The current Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy is an ex-BJP (youth leader) and ex-TDP leader. Revanth chose the Congress party instead of the BRS party, after certain circumstances forced him to resign from the TDP party in 2017. TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu had mentored him in the early days of his political career and Revanth continues to respect the senior leader.
He is reputed to maintain good relations with leaders of both the TDP and the BJP across the Telugu states. Many in the Telugu states, see his presence in the Congress party as one of “fate”, due to certain political circumstances.
Revanth had to fight an uphill battle to be accepted by the old guard of the Congress party and still faces opposition from several senior Congress leaders, although they have grudgingly accepted him after his significant contribution in helping the Congress win the closely contested 2023 elections, narrowly by four seats over the majority number. Post the recent electoral victory for the Congress in Telangana, it has often been said that the people had voted against the second-term incumbency of the BRS and for Revanth Reddy, the ex-TDP leader that they were already familiar with…it was not necessarily a vote for the Congress party.
As the current Telangana chief minister, Revanth seems to have gotten off on the right foot with his ex-party, the BJP. He appears to maintain cordial relations with the BJP’s top leaders, apart from enjoying a longstanding relationship with the TDP leadership as well. The BJP’s relationship with the previous BRS government in Telangana and its leader, Chandrasekar Rao was more complicated and prone to mistrust.
In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP enjoys external support from the incumbent Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSRCP party, an off shoot of the Congress party. The BJP and the YSRCP have a straight forward, business relationship based on the mutual benefits they agree upon, at the state and central levels. However, their political relationship is rather awkward as their ideologies are drastically different. The YSRCP being an off shoot of the Congress swears by a socialist, leftist agenda consisting of a disproportionately large number of welfare schemes, talks about “secularism” and indulges in typical minority appeasement policies. In addition, Jagan Reddy’s family are converted Christians and he is a chief minister on bail from a Hyderabad-based central jail.
Jagan continues to receive regular summons from both the CBI and the ED on a large number of financial and criminal cases, many of which the investigative agencies have been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt. It is well known in the Telugu states that Jagan Reddy would lend unconditional, unquestioned support to whichever party was in power at the Centre, as it would help him postpone his trial and the legal proceedings of his numerous court cases. Of late, Jagan and his party seem to be running out of luck, as most analysts do not predict positive results for him in the 2024 state elections.
Regardless of which party comes to power in A.P this year, the BJP is still in a favorable position in Andhra, as the main opposition party touted to have an electoral advantage in the upcoming elections, the TDP, is ready to extend support to them at the Centre. The TDP and BJP were previously allies and pre-poll electoral partners for the 2014 state elections. The TDP had won the elections that year but it’s relationship with the BJP turned sour over the issue of a special status for the newly divided state, including a purported financial package. The BJP is on good terms with the JSP party as well, which is currently working together with the TDP party for the 2024 elections.
The BJP’s strategy in the Telugu states accompanied by the reciprocation of the state governments and regional leaders, is in stark contrast to its position in the other three South Indian states. The current governments in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, spar with the BJP quite openly and show an irrational persistence in opposing almost every BJP policy at the central and state levels. This type of constant, vehement opposition to everything the BJP proposes, is an indication of the high levels of political insecurity that the regional leaders of these states feel at the growing presence and popularity of the BJP, among the Hindus….the single, largest voting block in the country, that all the self proclaiming national “secular” parties and most regional parties have woefully ignored, for decades.
In response to the often unreasonable attitude of the national and regional parties in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, the BJP leaders in these states do not hesitate to confront the regional governments and leaders, over their differences of opinion. The BJP in these states, stands its ground and is quite vocal about challenging the policies of Tamil Nadu’s DMK party, Karnataka’s Congress and Kerala’s LDF.
The twin Telugu states appear to be an exception in the South, for the BJP. While they continue to grow their presence in both states, they continue to strive for a friendly “working” relationship with all parties in both states regardless of ideological or political differences with the regional leaders of Andhra and Telangana reciprocating positively to the BJP’s balancing act between political tact and the promotion of its own regional goals.
In contrast, the BJP’s political issues in the other three South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala are entirely different, more aggresive and far more confrontational in nature. Further more, each state presents a unique challenge and entirely different dynamic. The party’s strategy of maintaining cordial relations with the opposition’s “friendly” leaders as well leaders of regional parties via some old fashioned diplomacy and a reasonable, mutually beneficial “give and take” policy in the Telugu states…. may not work in the other three south Indian states, each for its own unique reason!
Shivani is a freelance writer.
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