Jagan takes over Andhra as Modi wave dents KCR party

For the chief minister of Telangana, the election is not an unmitigated success.

In Andhra and Telangana, the election results have affirmed the influence of regional strongmen, though the Modi wave visible at national level worked in different ways in both the states.
In Telangana, the influence of the BJP wave was most palpable with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao being forced to yield to the BJP in four constituencies. It was a setback of sorts for the TRS supremo who was boasting about winning 16 of 17 seats during the campaign.
In Andhra Pradesh, it was a complete rejection of the politics of incumbent chief minister and Telugu Desam leader N Chandrababu Naidu and a total endorsement of YSR Congress party leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. In both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Jagan's party showed complete dominance by winning more than three-fourth of the Assembly seats and 22 of the 25 parliament seats, a rare and unprecedented feat.
For the chief minister of Telangana, the election is not an unmitigated success. The Congress and the BJP have made serious inroads into his bastions of influence. His party lost seven parliamentary constituencies to the Congress and the BJP. Just four months ago, these areas returned TRS candidates to the Assembly with a thumping majority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image of a strong nationalist leader, coupled with the chief minister's arrogant behaviour, is said to be the prime cause of the sudden drop in the influence of the state's ruling party.
It was a dream run for the BJP in Telangana with the party clinching an unexpected four seats. Except in the Secunderabad constituency, the party has had no influence worth the name. In Nizamabad, Adilabad and Karimnagar, party candidates tasted unexpected victories thanks to the Modi mania that has become endemic across the country. Kishan Reddy, the state party leader, won from Secunderabad and could clinch a berth in the central cabinet as he is known to be a close associate of the prime minister. Dharmapuri Aravind from Nizamabad, Bandi Sanjay from Karimnagar and Soyam Babu Rao from Adilabad, all unknown quantities in politics, will walk the portals of parliament for the first time.
The Congress too showed an impressive performance in Telangana, compared to the Assembly elections. Its firebrand leader and a vocal critic of KCR, Revanth Reddy, won in a tight contest with TRS candidate M Rajasekher Reddy. PCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy from Nalgonda and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy from Bhoingir, both of them seasoned leaders, managed to win despite the strong TRS challenge. This came as a big relief for the Congress party after the drubbing it received in the assembly elections.
Chief Minister KCR's style of functioning has been a big issue for a very long time. His penchant for running administration from his camp office and farm house and his refusal to come to the state secretariat have been the staple of many fairytales. His arrogant behaviour towards his own ministers and MLAs by refusing them appointments has been the talk of the town. It appears voters have decided to put a check on his dictatorial ways. His daughter K Kavitha lost the election to the BJP candidate and it is a personal loss for KCR who, it was said, wanted to put his daughter in the Union cabinet.
As is the norm, Assaduddin Owaisi of the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) won from Hyderabad for a fourth consecutive term. In all, the TRS won 9 seats, BJP 4, the Congress 3 and the MIM one.
In Andhra Pradesh, it is Jagan all the way. It has been a dream for him to become a chief minister ever since the death of his father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who was a very popular chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh and was known for implementing various path-breaking welfare schemes. Jagan Reddy had challenged the authority of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and broke away from the party to set up his own. It has been a tough battle ever since. He has faced several CBI cases related to his businesses allegedly instigated by the Congress leadership. In the 2014 elections, he lost by a whisker to a more experienced and wily Chandrababu Naidu who managed to convince the people of what was then a new state.
Over the last few years, Jagan spent his time rallying people against Naidu and turned up heat on him over the special status that was promised when the state was carved out of the united Andhra.
His long-cherished dream of the top post is about to become true and he, speaking to his cheering supporters after the stupendous victory, said his responsibility has become even more greater and he would like to be known as an ideal CM within a span of six months to one year.
In the 175-member assembly, Jagan's party is on track to get nearly 150 seats which is a stinging rebuke of Naidu's rule. It is a matter of debate now if the Naidu party will be able to get the opposition status in the assembly.
Most of the stalwarts of the YSRCP are getting elected either to the assembly or parliament. Among the prominent losers is Naidu's son Nara Lokesh who lost to Alla Ramakrishna Reddy of the YSRCP in the Mangalagiri constituency. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, a former federal minister, is also losing his Vijayanagaram parliamentary seat. Naidu managed to win his Kuppam Assembly constituency with a comfortable majority.
Naidu's impending defeat was an open secret to many. But his favourite media somehow kept his myth alive so that he has some chance to salvage whatever he can from what was a certain defeat. His main failing has been that he could not get his equation with Prime Minister Modi right. His capital city project - Amaravati - had hit many administrative and funding blocks which he could not sort out because of his lack of good chemistry with PM Modi. And he went slow on implementing welfare projects due to lack of funding. All these added up and resulted in a historic drubbing.
The Telugu Desam is expected to get around 25 seats in the assembly and three in parliament. The rest of the seats belong to the YSRCP.
Actor Pawan Kalyan lost from both Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram, the two assembly constituencies he contested. His party - Jana Sena - has to rest content with just one seat. It is literally the end of political career for the loquacious actor who at times gave tough time to both Jagan and Naidu.
sreenivasa@khaleejtimes.com