CHENNAI: However, Jagan’s decision to decentralize the state capital from Amaravati to the three different locations of Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool has created controversy.
As the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections near in Andhra Pradesh, the state’s ruling party, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) helmed by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been gearing up to take on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-Jana Sena (JS)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine and the Congress. Interestingly, the YSRCP swept the Assembly elections in 2019, and also won 22 of the state’s 25 Lok Sabha seats the same year. Can Jagan Mohan Reddy replicate a similar win this time around in what is being called the “mother of all elections”?
Like in 2019, the YSRCP’s poll campaign is being handled by the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the political consulting firm, which was once owned by Prashant Kishor. Having won the 2019 elections with a huge majority, the 2024 campaign strategy seems to have similar elements with some new aspects thrown in.
A POLL MANIFESTO WITH INCREASED SOPS
One of the key factors working in favour of Jagan Mohan Reddy is his government’s focus on welfare schemes. These welfare schemes have helped Reddy build a strong support base among various sections of society, especially farmers and women. The YSRCP’s 2024 poll manifesto, which was released recently, has been titled Navaratnalu Plus, while in 2019 it was the Navaratnalu manifesto. Taking a look at some of the poll promises, Reddy has placed his bets on his government’s financial and welfare schemes and sops.
This time he has promised to increase the Amma Vodi amount from Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 per year and has continued with enhanced allotments or increased sops for schemes like Kapu Nestham, zero interest loans, social security pensions, Rythu Bharosa, YSR Cheyutha, YSR Kapu Nestham, Shadi Tohfa, Housing Scheme and Aarogyasri.
As per the poll promise, Rs 60,000 will be given in eight instalments under Kapu Nestham, while the Jagananna Amma Vodi amount has increased to Rs 85,000 over the next five years under which every mother from an underprivileged background who ensures that her children are attending school will now receive Rs 17,000 per year. The YSR Pension Kanuka has gone up from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per month, which will be delivered to the doorstep of all elderly, widows and disabled every month. A guaranteed increased income support of Rs 80,000 has been promised to every farmer’s family for five years under the YSR Rythu Bharosa at the rate of Rs 16,000 per year. YSR Sunna Vaddi, YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa schemes would continue as is for the next five years. The YSR Free Crop Insurance, Sunna Vaddi Panta Runalu, Input Subsidy, and nine hours of free power supply per day would continue.
ISSUES PLAGUING THE YSRCP
Another issue is the demand for Special Category Status (SCS) since the bifurcation of the Telugu-speaking state in 2014. Neither the TDP nor the ruling YSRCP has been able to persuade the Centre to give Andhra Pradesh the SCS status. While Chandrababu Naidu decided to make Amaravati the state’s capital when he came to power in 2014, Jagan Mohan Reddy scuttled the idea when he came to power in 2019 and decided to have three capitals in the state. This problem has not been resolved and is an election issue right now.
Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to decentralize the state capital from Amaravati to three different locations—Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital—has created controversy. While Reddy’s government argues that this move will ensure balanced development across the state, critics see it as a hasty and ill-advised decision that could alienate voters in the state capital region.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, TDP’s N. Chandrababu Naidu told the media recently, “A capital is very important. Tamil Nadu can proudly say Chennai, Telangana can say Hyderabad, Karnataka Bangalore. After 10 years, we don’t have an address, which is our capital? Jagan (Mohan Reddy) is saying three capitals. Has it been successful anywhere in the world? Bifurcation is a painful process. But the five-year rule of Jagan Mohan Reddy has done more damage than bifurcation. My duty is to protect the state and its future. I laid a very strong foundation for Hyderabad and wealth was created. In Amaravati, I got everything done, but he destroyed the future of Andhra in the name of three capitals.
Every section of people is annoyed, frustrated. They want to protect the state. It is not my election, it is the election of the five crore people of Andhra Pradesh, their future and the future of their children.”
The Opposition has alleged that development has stalled in the state and that in the last five years, the ruling YSRCP has borrowed Rs 12 lakh crore as loans and plunged the state into debt. Allegations of corruption, high unemployment, increasing crime rates, and inflation are also a concern for the voter, along with development.
As for Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, he has exhorted the people to “save the state and its people from the clutches of Jagan” at nearly every public meeting. He spoke about various issues including the ganja menace in the state, the misuse of the Land Tilting Act by Jagan, and Jagan’s attempt to divide the communities for political gain. Meanwhile, Jagan Mohan Reddy hit back stating, “Naidu is remembered for his politics of back-stabbing, fraud and lies. Without Jagan, the welfare and development regime will fall apart.
Just like frogs in a pond during the rains, with elections around the corner, non-local leaders like Chandrababu and Pawan Kalyan are coming to seek votes by deceiving people with fraudulent promises. Once the elections get over, the non-local leaders will leave for Hyderabad. This is the attachment of these non-local leaders to the people of Andhra Pradesh. I want to remind all that they will loot everything in the state and they will share the loot amongst themselves.” He added that people should evaluate the YSRCP’s performance and vote for them.
YSRCP POLL STRATEGY
Given how critical the 2024 elections are, there are some key grassroots initiatives that have been taken by YSRCP thanks to I-PAC. An initiative called “Siddham” (ready), for instance, was launched this time where the focus was on branding, slogans and filmy posters. In south India, people love cinema and this has been used in posters and campaign songs to attract voters. “Memantha Siddham” (we are ready) is the flagship bus yatra that Jagan Mohan Reddy has undertaken to cover the 25 parliamentary constituencies. This features interactions with the public apart from Jagan’s public meetings on the way.
Added to this there is the “Memu Siddham, Maa Booth Siddham” (we are ready, our booth is ready) campaign where a trained booth-level army, consisting of 20 “Gruha Sarathis” or volunteers and four committee members per booth, have been set up at each of the 50,000 booths across the state. “Jagananne Maa Bhavishyatu”, meaning “Jagan Anna, my future is you”, was a two-week outreach campaign conducted in April, which reached out to nearly two crore households to tell the people the development achieved by the YSRCP government since it came to power in 2019.
The YSRCP has also activated its social media wing and got on board 4,500 social media volunteers to disseminate information about the government’s welfare programmes and fact-check messages to counter misinformation 24X7. YSRCP’s head of social media, Sajjala Bhargav Reddy, stated, “We have a massive network of people who voluntarily work for the party. Starting at the district level, we have a social media committee and at the constituency level, there is one more social media committee and all the way to the mandal level. In all, it represents close to 4,500 office bearers exclusively on social media. Our aim is to reach every single voter in the state and predominantly we keep our approach organic. The reach is so high that we don’t have control where it goes or reaches.”
Reddy also said that YSRCP’s WhatsApp groups, spreading from local villages to international communities, boast of an active membership of over a million people. The social media team’s primary objective is to ensure that Jagan Mohan Reddy’s messages resonate across the globe while highlighting the shortcomings of the opposition.
According to a News18 opinion poll, the NDA may win 18 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. As for the Assembly elections, it is a clear fight between YSRCP’s welfare schemes and TDP’s developmental schemes and both Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu are confident they’ll win. Right now, all eyes are on 13 May when Andhra Pradesh goes to the polls and for YSRCP and Jagan Mohan Reddy, a lot is at stake in these elections.