New inspiration for Telugu Desam Party!
Chandrababu Naidus arrest: It cannot be predicted in advance that the arrest of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu will help turn a tide in Andhra politics. But this seems to have changed things for the opposition, which has so far failed to launch a massive offensive against the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
Naidu is currently lodged in Rajahmundry Jail. His son Lokesh is visiting him. Meanwhile, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan announced on Thursday (September 14) that the Janasena Party (JSP) will contest next year’s elections in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party.
This shows that the window remains open for the BJP to join the opposition alliance in the state, according to BJP and TDP insiders.
Meanwhile, sources said talks between the JSP and the BJP, which attended the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in New Delhi in July, were moving in a “positive direction”. “It has given new hope for a possible alliance on both sides. But they are still in discussion stage and no final decision has been taken,” said a BJP source.
Soon after Pawan Kalyan announced his engagement publicly, Lokesh went to the national capital. Then, the TDP leader explained the injustice to Naidu.
The former chief minister has been arrested in the multi-crore corruption case of Andhra Skill Development Corporation. The purpose of my coming to Delhi was to explain the injustice done to Chandrababu Naidu to the people. He collaborated with Siemens to provide training to the youth of Andhra Pradesh. Does the person deserve judicial custody?” he asked during a conversation with The Indian Express. He said that this scheme, which was started in 2015, continued to function even during the tenure of the Jagan government, which came to power in 2019.
With a section of BJP leaders fearing that an alliance with the BJP would not benefit the party, the BJP is keen to garner support from multiple parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and believes that the YSCP is stronger than the opposition. Lokesh said his father was arrested because the Telugu Desam Party was gaining strength in Andhra Pradesh. TDP leaders admitted that the party was trailing in the polls before his arrest, but has gained momentum since Naidu’s arrest.
Lokesh linked the arrest with his statewide Yuvakalam (Voice of the Youth) padayatra covering 86 of the 175 assembly constituencies.
Otherwise, why should we arrest the former Chief Minister, we were in the field to take our manifesto to the people. A great momentum had built up in my padayatra and Jagan wanted to stop the momentum.
He also countered the argument that the TDP, as the primary opposition party to the YSRCP, had failed to make a deep impact. The TDP successor pointed out that the party had won all the graduate MLC constituencies in the Legislative Assembly elections earlier this year.
Why is Naidu arrested now if there is no harm to TDP? Why are there so many cases against Lokesh, including a case of murder? About 1,000 of our leaders are in jail. Of course, there is hatred among people, there is fear among people.
Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest not a fatal blow for TDP: Party gets momentum, fresh impetus for anti-Jagan alliance
Lokesh further said, “Telugu Desam Party is not lacking when it comes to welfare schemes. It is a part of society in Andhra Pradesh. But you have to give jobs, power and water, and the economy has to be strong. There is an economic crisis in the state. The state ranks third in farmer suicides. “When many are leaving Andhra, no company is coming to Andhra,” he said.
Which way will the BJP lean?
As hopes of an alliance with the BJP prevailed, Lokesh moderated his criticism of the misuse of police and regulatory bodies to crack down on the opposition.
Agencies are misused. It is clear from Naidu’s arrest. This is a classic case of political vendetta and persecution. State regulatory bodies have been misused. So far, the national agencies are not involved in Andhra Pradesh, so I cannot comment.
Telugu Desam Party leaders said that Jagan’s move has also taken the BJP leadership by surprise.
They had no clue about the arrest. “Although there was talk of an arrest, no one expected it to happen,” said a TDP functionary.
BJP sources also agreed that Naidu’s arrest has “infused new energy into the TDP side”. According to the party, Jana Sena’s public announcement will consolidate votes for TDP.”
A BJP insider admitted that the party, which had shown interest in forging an understanding with the TDP, later cooled off as a section of its leaders advised against antagonizing the YSRCP, which is likely to win more parliamentary seats in the state.
However, they added that the arrest of the Telugu Desam Party leader and the following developments might make the leaders reconsider their stand. While state BJP president D. Purandareswari has condemned the arrest, parties like Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the secular Janata Dal, which are negotiating with the BJP for an electoral understanding for the Lok Sabha polls, have expressed their support.
Meanwhile, a BJP leader said the BJP’s aim is to win as many parliamentary seats as possible from southern states.
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