Hyderabad: TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who has been crying hoarse against his Telangana counterpart K. Chandtrashekar Rao for poaching MLAs from Opposition parties, seems to be employing the same tactics to save his own gaddhi!
This sordid political drama being enacted by Naidu came to the fore with his moves to admit some legislators from YSR Congress Party into his Telugu Desam. What is intriguing is that on one side Naidu has been criticizing KCR for admitting into TRS Telangana TDP MLAs and at the same time unabashedly trying to adopt similar unethical practice.
It is however pertinent to note here that there is a contrast between the two Chief Ministers in this political game being played by them. While KCR’s game plan in admitting defectors, especially from the TDP, is manly intended to consolidate is party’s hold in Telangana Sate, Naidu’s desperate move in welcoming defectors is undoubtedly to prevent his ruling TDP in AP from crumbling.
Though TRS swept to power in Telangana State in 2014 elections, its strength and hold in the GHMC limits has been very minimal. Realizing this, KCR diligently scripted a plan to not only revitalize his pink party in the entire State, including the all important GHMC limits, but also sound a death knell to the Opposition parties. Thus to put into practice his action plan, more so with an eye on GHMC, which is one of the biggest civic bodies in the country, KCR unleashed his magnetic weapon — Operation Akarshan — to attract turncoat and power-hungry MLAs from the Opposition parties. In fact, his main target was his bete noir Naidu and his TDP.
KCR succeeded in his “operation demolition of TDP” as one after another as many 10 MLAs from the yellow brigade ditched Naidu and jumped into the TRS bandwagon. One of the first to desert TDP was Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who was considered as a trusted lieutenant of Naidu and also served as a minister in his cabinet. What is more, to make Srinivas Yadav to slog and strengthen TRS in the GHMC limits by bringing into the YRS fold some more influential leaders from TDP, KCR immediately inducted him into his cabinet. This despite a hue and cry raised by the Opposition parties, especially the Congress and TDP, that it was unethical and unconstitutional in inducting a person, whose resignation from both TDP and Assembly was still hanging fire, into the ministry.
However KCR’s gamble in inducting Srinivas Yadav in his ministry has had the desired effect as the TDP defector has become a Pied Piper to attract other MLAs from TDP to TRS. It also sent the needed message to other fence-sitters in the Congress and other Opposition parties, who were in search of greener pastures what with TRS making Telangana State its impregnable fort. What is more, as scripted by KCR the TRS established its political supremacy by winning Warangal Lok Sabha seat and Narayankhed Assembly seat in the by-elections besides hoisting its flag on the GHMC. In the process, it also has decimated the TDP and also to some extent the Congress in the Telangana State.
Chandrabu Naidu, whose TDP is in power in the sibling Telugu State of Andhra Pradesh, has been vainly trying to steal show in the Telangana region. Exasperated over not being able to prevent his party leaders defecting to TRS in the Telangana State, Naidu could do nothing except blame his counterpart of indulging in unscrupulous practices. He and the leftover Telangana TDP members, besides his loyalists from AP, launched a scathing attack on KCR and the TRS Government and demanded that the defectors should be disqualified under the anti-defection law.
Like the saying “it never rains but pours”, Naidu’s problems began to multiply. On one side in the Telangana State, his party has been almost wiped out and on the other his government has been encountering a pounding from the YSR Congress Party at its president Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy. Not only the YSRCP leaders have been indulging in a vitriolic attack on Naidu and the TDP Government, but Jagan has even been threatening to pull down the government. The other day, Jagan had even declared that he would pull down the government what with a sizeable number of TDP MLAs ready to jump into YSRCP. Thus, TDP facing crises in both the Telugu states — getting decimated in Telangana and being threatened to be pulled down in AP — Naidu seemed to have felt no other alternative but to emulate his counterpart KCR to save his skin at least in AP.
Naidu though was very critical about KCR in encouraging defections, he seemed to have no other alternative in trying to woo members from the YSRCP to prevent his house from crumbling. He reportedly offered a ministerial berth to Bhuma Nagi Reddy’s daughter Akhil and thus enticed both the father and daughter to think of deserting the YSRCP. Likewise, a few other members from YSRCP are being lured with sops of important positions in the government or corporations. Though a clear picture has not yet emerged as to who is defecting to which party as both Naidu and Jagan have been making claims and counter claims, one thing seemed to be very clear and that is Naidu deciding to emulate KCR to not only save his TDP from crumbling, but also strike a death-knell to YSRCP. (NSS)
Naidu Emulating KCR To Decimate Jagan And YSRCP In AP !
