CM Jagan Increases Attacks on Opposition as Poll Heat Touches Peak in AP
VIJAYAWADA: The political heat in the run-up to the 2024 elections touched its peak in Andhra Pradesh even as the scheduled conduct of the assembly polls, as also the parliament polls, are still over 10 months away.
Chief Minister Jagan Reddy is concentrating on a consolidation of his party’s vote banks – mainly the beneficiaries of his welfare schemes – across the assembly constituencies and seeking to attract more of the people to his side. Fifty assembly segments have been the strongholds of the YSRC, where it won polls repeatedly in the past.
The Telugu Desam lost these seats first to the Congress and then to the YSRC. The Vijayawada West, Mangalagiri, Bapatla, Guntur East, Macherla, Narasaraopet, Yerragondapalem, Santhanuthalapadu, Kandukur, Giddalur, Atmakur, Nellore city, Nellore rural, Punganur, Madanapalle, Peeleru, Chandragiri, Puthalapattu, GD Nellore, Aaluru, Panyam, Kurnool, Srisailam, Allagadda, Kodumuru, Nandikotkur, Mydukur, Jammalamadugu, Kamalapuram, Pulivendula, Rayachoti, Kadapa, Railway Kodur, Badvelu, Sarvepalli, Pamarru, Tiruvuru, Tadepalligudem, Kothapeta, Pithapuram, Jaggampeta, Tuni, Rampachodavaram, Rajam, Palakonda, Pathapatnam, Kurupam, Saluru, Bobbili and Paderu were the seats that TD lost for the past three consecutive terms.
CM Jagan concentrated on consolidating voters' support in these 50 segments and Opposition parties are also making a lot of efforts to win these seats in the coming polls.
CM Jagan is conducting public meetings whenever he releases funds for his welfare schemes. He uses this as an opportunity to train his guns on TD chief Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, as also against two media chiefs of vernacular dailies, terming the four as the “evil quartet.”
Claiming that the YSRC government reached the benefits of at least one welfare scheme to every house, Jagan Reddy is asking the people to support him.
There have been talk of advancement of the assembly poll schedule, though the CM openly denied any such plan.
Political analysts say that in 2019, out of the total 52 assembly seats in Rayalaseema region, the YSRC grabbed 49 seats and the TD failed to put up even a semblance of resistance in these constituencies. In the three exceptions, Chandrababu Naidu won Kuppam, Nandamuri Balakrishna Hindupur and Payyavula Kesav Uravakonda.
They recalled that out of the total 34 assembly segments in three districts of north Andhra, the YSRC won 28 seats and TD six seats. As the bastions of TD turned into strongholds of the YSRC, Naidu and Lokesh extensively toured Rayalaseema districts in Padayatra mode and in the form of Bhavishyattuku Guarantee programmes.
Pawan Kalyan is pinning high hopes on the Kapu community votes, and he’s trying to attract them to the Jana Sena in the coastal districts through his Varahi yatra.
Analysts note that the latest Times Now- Navabharat opinion poll projected a resounding victory to the YSRC by giving it 24 out of 25 MPs. “This meant Jagan Reddy’s ‘Welfare Mantra’ started working among masses.”
They said Jagan Reddy is confident of a clean sweep under his ‘Why Not 175?’ slogan and focussing on the assembly seats where the Opposition remained strong.
“Naidu is announcing candidates in advance and there would be a tough fight if the TD-BJP-JS entered the 2024 election fray under a poll alliance,” they note.
However, they add that the door-to-door mass campaign programmes of the YSRC are giving good results.
Ministers Ambati Rambabu, Jogi Ramesh and Merugu Nagarjuna said they have no fear of losing the polls even if an alliance between the TD, JS and BJP materializes. The YSRC, they asserted, would face the 2024 elections without any alliance.