Major political parties seem to have gone into the poll mode two years ahead of the general elections scheduled to be organised in 2024.
The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), and the opposition parties such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) have begun high-pitch campaigns, mass contact programmes, public meetings, community-wise interactions.
These apart, the parties are leaving no stone unturned to strengthen their base at the grassroots, and as a step in that direction are appointing committees and reviewing the status in key constituencies.
The YSRCP, which had stormed to power by winning 151 seats and bagging 51% vote share in the 2019 elections, has set itself an ambitious target of winning all the 175 Assembly seats and decimate the Opposition.
Party president and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has time and again telling his party leaders and cadres that achieving the target is not an impossible task at all.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s contention is that his government has fulfilled a majority of the promises made in the election manifesto, besides crediting a whopping ₹1.75 lakh crore directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of various welfare schemes under Navaratnalu. This apart, the government has ushered in reforms in the education, health and social security sectors.
As part of its mass contact programme, the YSRCP had launched the ‘Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam’ in April. Under the programme, the MLAs, accompanied by councillors, sarpanches, and personnel of the ward / village secretariats, have been visiting people at their doorstep and explaining about the welfare schemes.
The programme has enabled the MLAs to have direct feedback from the people and take corrective steps. Taking one more step forward, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered constitution of polling booth-level committees and appointment of 5.2 lakh ‘gruha saradhulu’ who will participate in the campaigns and play a crucial role in the elections.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has also initiated constituency-level reviews, and so far he has reviewed about 75 key constituencies. In each review, he has been interacting with about 100 leaders and eliciting their feedback.
On the other hand, the party has also been taking on the opposition parties. Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a scathing attack on the TDP, the JSP and certain media groups for “ganging up against the YSRCP” despite the government implementing welfare schemes on a saturation basis.
The three-capital proposal has also come in handy for the YSRCP to counter both the TDP and the JSP. The meetings organised with its backing in Visakhapatnam and Kurnool batted for establishment of the three capitals.
The YSRCP is also trying to reach out to the Muslims and other minorities. Besides, it organised ‘Jayaho BC’ conclave in Vijayawada in a bid to mobilise the support of the Backward Classes.
However, the party has to grapple with resentment among cadres who say that they have been bypassed with the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode welfare schemes.
The TDP, on the other hand, is also trying to reposition itself in the dynamic political situation.
Party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has been organising roadshows and public meetings. The TDP too launched the ‘Badude Badudu’ programme aimed at highlighting the rise in prices of essential commodities. It also launched another campaign, ‘Idhem Kharma Mana Rashtraniki’, to corner the government on various issues.
The turnouts at Mr. Naidu’s meetings bolstered the sagging spirits of the party cadres.
The TDP cadres were also enthused by the prospect of a pre-poll alliance with the JSP, and the meeting between Mr. Naidu and Mr. Pawan Kalyan sparked speculation.
The enthusiasm quickly gave way to scepticism after the meeting between Prime Minister Narandra Modi and Mr. Pawan Kalyan in Visakhapatnam on November 11. Mr. Pawan Kalyan is still tight-lipped on what had transpired during the meeting.
