AP political scene hots up with Naidu, Pawan hinting at alliances

Visakhapatnam: Even as elections are two years away, the political atmosphere in Andhra Pradesh is hotting up with talk of getting ready to face elections and the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party and its former ally, Jana Sena Party separately underlining the need to prevent division of anti-YSR Congress Party vote.

The ruling YSRCP, which secured a brute majority by getting 151 Assembly seats out of 175 restricting TDP to a paltry tally of 23 in 2019, has already decided to prepare a roadmap to face the elections and repeat its performance in 2024.

Meanwhile, some TDP leaders are also propagating that the party rank and file should be prepared to face elections anytime as Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, known for springing surprises with his decisions like having five Deputy Chief Ministers and trifurcation of State Capital, may opt to advance elections.

Interestingly, both TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party president and actor Pawan Kalyan gave statements separately that there is a need to avoid a split in Opposition votes. This led to the claim by the YSRCP leaders that they are reading the same script and at any time may bury the hatchet and join hands together to pursue political opportunism.

Notwithstanding the speculation, Pawan Kalyan, who after siding with TDP in 2019, severed ties and aligned with the BJP, declared during visit to Nandyal on Sunday that his alliance with the Sangh Parivar will continue.

Ridiculing their confusing statements, YSRCP leaders term that both Naidu and his 'datta putrudu' (adopted son) (Pawan Kalyan) are on the same page and ready to enact another drama to hoodwink the voters.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after the Cabinet rejig advised party workers and leaders to be ready to take the party's good work to the people. He also promised to appoint Ministers who were dropped, to appoint as the district unit presidents and regional coordinators by designating them as District Development Council Chairmen with Cabinet ranks.

Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu, who is undertaking a programme named 'Badude Badude' to highlight recent decisions to increase RTC fare, power tariff and property tax, is planning to undertake a Statewide bus yatra in August to campaign against the ruling party. YSRCP parliamentary party leader V Vijayasai Reddy has already made it very clear that YSRCP will go to the polls alone and retain power because of the growing popularity of YSRCP.

"It's an open secret that both Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are on the page. Even if they join hands, YSRCP will continue to stay in power by repeating its spectacular performance because of our leader Jagan Mohan Reddy has kept almost all his election promises like implementation Navaratnalu and distribution of houses to 32 lakh poor people," Chelluboyina Venugopalakrisna, Minister for Information & Public Relations, BC Welfare and Cinematography, told the media at Tadepalli on Monday.