These Two Are Doing Better Than TDP & Janasena Leaders

With the opposition parties failing to play their role, third parties have stepped into the political scenario in Andhra Pradesh. In fact, they are being more constructive by raising valid points and making strong arguments on various issues.

YouTube star Mahasena Rajesh and YCP rebel MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju are acting as the main opposition in the state raising people’s issues and pointing out the mistakes of the YCP in its decisions and irregularities in the implementation of various schemes.

After NTR’s name being replaced with YSR for the health university, Rajesh’s videos questioning the claims of NTR’s wife and YCP leader Lakshmi Parvati on Naidu’s treachery went viral. Mahasena Media, headed by Rajesh, launched a counter attack against the YCP woman leader and exposed the hollowness of all her statements about Chandrababu Naidu’s ‘backstabbing’. Mahasena Media is an organisation fighting for the cause of Dalits’ rights.

The YCP rebel and Narsapuram MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju also makes it a point to educate the voters about the politics behind Jagan’s controversial decisions through his Rachabanda programme, held almost like a daily serial. For the same reason, the MP was even taken to task and tortured when in police custody a few months ago.

No vociferous leader

The main opposition party, Telugu Desam, had been relegated to the backseat with many of its leaders switching loyalty to the ruling party. While Naidu had vowed not to enter the Assembly following the ‘insult’ to his wife by the YCP leaders in the House, other party leaders are not able to make their voices heard in the clamour being raised in the Assembly.

Naidu is a veteran in politics having more than 40 years’ experience but even he seems to be a failure in hitting back at the ruling party’s misdeeds. Further, he is also a victim of character assassination. The ruling party leaders are slowly but certainly, ensuring that Naidu loses his credibility in the public. Above all, they are reminding people continuously that Naidu is an old man and is not fit for active politics, opined political observers.

Political analysts felt that Lokesh was also not able to put forward his strong argument on crucial issues to counter the YCP leaders. He lacks oratory skills. The TDP should try to establish the ‘connect with people’ by mingling in the public through meetings and roadshows. Except for the anti-YCP posts being shared by party’s social media activists, there seems to be no vociferous leader from the TDP. Their voices have become feeble both in and outside the Assembly. The TDP should try to be aggressive in its approach to withstand the YCP onslaught, they suggested.

Part-time politician

Jana Sena, being led by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, appears on the political circuit intermittently. Pawan Kalyan draws crowds and one can easily understand the reason behind it. Probably, the BJP is still continuing its alliance with the JS for the same reason. During his public meetings, Pawan makes some interesting remarks against the YCP which evoke hope that he can be a strong leader but he fails to take up the necessary follow up action which depicts him as a part-time politician. Interestingly, the JS has more cadre (fan clubs) with only a handful of leaders to guide them. Further, the JS-BJP alliance has been acting as a deterrent preventing Pawan’s men from fighting the electoral battles with potential and commitment.

No impact of BJP

The BJP is also a weak opposition neither able to lead any visible campaign against the ‘misgovernance and anarchy’ of the YCP. The Praja Poru yatra being led by the party is not able to pull crowds nor make inroads into the strongholds of the YCP or the TDP. The party state unit chief Somu Veerraju does not make his presence felt nor does he make any strong statements against the YCP. However, the BJP leadership dreams of replacing the main opposition party in the state. The party seniors also made it clear that they would not have any truck with the TDP in the future elections.

Further, the party creates confusion among the public by making contradictory statements. The BJP leadership at the Centre made it clear to the court that the state government has every right to choose its own capital while the party leaders in the state say they are committed to Amaravati as the lone capital of AP and even take part in the padayatra along with the capital region farmers.  The YCP is hell bent on decentralisation of powers through the 3-capital formula while all the opposition parties are fighting for the cause of Amaravati farmers.

It has to be seen how all these opposition parties would hone their skills, identify their shortcomings and rise up to the expectations.