ANANTAPUR: The political scenario in AP is now focused on the Rayalaseema region as all major parties are aiming to make the maximum gain from the 2024 general polls by way of appeasing the voters.
The YSRC is firm on the 3-capital formula and making Kurnool the judicial capital of the state by implementing the decades-old Sribagh Pact. The ruling party leaders are targeting the opposition during their visits to the Rayalaseema to clarify ruling party’s stand on the 3-capitals issue.
TD chief Chandrababu Naidu faced heat from Rayalaseema activists including the advocate JAC. They demanded that he should make clear his stand on the setting up of the state judiciary’s capital in Kurnool a couple of days ago in Kurnool when Naidu was there on a tour. The tour had turned almost violent as the YSRC and Rayalaseema activists on the one side and the TD cadres on the other clashed.
Naidu, who was successful in attracting party cadres and farmers in Adoni, Yemmiganur and Pathikonda to his meetings, had to face protests from various sections in Kurnool city, demanding that he should make clear his stand on the high court in Kurnool.
Even as Naidu tried to convince them that he had taken the initiative to establish the high court bench in Kurnool, the activists demanded that he back the 3-capital formula based on the Sribagh Pact.
Chandrababu Naidu, in a counter-attack, claimed that the TD did a lot for the development of the Rayalaseema region during its rule, while “the YSRC did nothing for the region’s development,” and that many developmental projects remained incomplete.
Chief minister Jagan Reddy was on frequent visits to Rayalaseema, including his home turf of Pulivendula in the YSR district, during the launch of government schemes. The Jana Sena has also concentrated its attention on attracting the people of Rayalaseema to its side.
The Janasena party highlighted the pathetic condition of the flood victims after the Annamayya project washed away in floods a year and a half ago.
Nadendla Manohar, during his visit to the flood-hit areas, noticed that the people were residing in temporary sheds even as the chief minister announced a rehabilitation package during his visit to Annamayya a year ago.
“Even a boxer, who had a great future, turned into a farm labourer to feed his family under the Annamayya project area. People were in temporary sheds and not even a single house was completed so far,” Manohar observed and made it clear that the party would support the flood victims and Pawan Kalyan would stage a protest at the collectorate soon.
Rayalaseema region has special conditions. The YSRC had won a majority of assembly and LS seats from Rayalaseema in 2019 and the TD was confined to only three MLA seats including those of Chandrababu Naidu in Kuppam, Nandamuri Balakrishna in Hindupur and Payyavula Kesav in Uravakonda.
The parties were hoping to gain more seats from the region in the upcoming polls. The opposition parties seem confident that a majority of the ruling party MLAs and MPs were facing lack of support from their own party cadres and from the public and hence the ruling party would face odds in the next polls.
Sensing this, YSRC high command is reportedly in a mood to change its candidates by keeping aside the sitting MLAs and MPs and bringing in new faces.
