The huge crowds drawn by the YSRCP leaders Mrs YS Vijayamma and her daughter Sharmila, and the effective manner in which they were attacking both the ruling Congress and the main opposition TDP during their election meetings in the 18 Assembly segments and one LokSabha constituency in the State during the last four, five days, has become a matter of great worry for both the Congress and the TDP, political circles feel.
The leaders of both the Congress and TDP felt that with the arrest of YSRCP leader YS Jagan
Mohan Reddy, the electioneering of that party candidates would be greatly affected, and this would
benefit their candidates. But, ironically, their estimates and hopes have been belied with Vijayamma
and Sharmila hitting the streets and mounting scathing attacks on the Congress and the TDP, as
responsible for the arrest of Jagan, and getting applause from the audience. Vijayamma and Sharmila
were effectively cornering the CBI, the Centre and the State Governments for what they call ‘action in
a great hurry’ against Jagan, as against inaction or tardy action in relation to other corrupt politicians
and officials across the country. They are questioning why the CBI swung into action within one day
of the High Court ordering probe against Jagan, while sleeping for one full month in regard to the order
of the same court to probe the assets case of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. The two leaders were
able to show to the people in clear terms the discrimination shown by the investigating agency between
Jagan and Naidu.
Insiders say that the TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu was greatly worried of late, as surveys said that
it is difficult for the party to get even two out of the 18 Assembly seats going to by-polls on June 12.
The entire scenario had changed now with Vijayamma and Sharmila launching the YSRCP’s
election campaign, and the prospects of TDP getting even two seats has become a big question mark,
notwithstanding the hectic campaign being carried on Naidu and his associates in the party, in a do or
die spirit. The TDP leaders were in jitters as the people were not reposing faith in the statements of
their leader Naidu on issues like corruption, and the tall promises being doled out by him to the people,
if the TDP comes to power. The people were well aware of the huge number of corruption charges
leveled against Naidu when he was the Chief Minister, and the Court says he got to stall probes.
So far as the Congress party is concerned, people tend to believe that late YSR alone cannot
be made responsible for all the alleged corrupt practices, and the Ministers concerned were also
responsible, as they have not raised their voice during YSR’s regime. (NSS)