Actor Pawan Kalyan adds to Modi-Naidu magic
With popular cinestar-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan’s full-throated endorsement of Mr Narendra Modi's prime ministerial bid, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally in Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party, have received a tremendous pre-poll boost. Mr Kalyan, who heads the Jana Sena, has also promised not to field any of his candidates or support independents. This will ensure that the anti-incumbency votes are not split in a manner that benefits none of the challengers. Additionally, Mr Kalyan has also said that his workers will campaign in favour of the BJP-TDP alliance. While some may question how much of a difference can be made by a fledgling political party that was formed only earlier this year, the situation in Andhra Pradesh is such that every individual vote will count for the BJP-TDP combine. For both parties, the battle in this State is expected to be tough despite the fact that the incumbent party is in tatters. The Congress's inept handling of the Telangana dispute in the State — it managed to upset just about every stakeholder — and its lacklustre performance at the national level means that the party is not expected to return to power in Andhra Pradesh. The YSR Congress is a major challenge but that will be restricted to the personal strengths of party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy. The BJP and the TDP have their own challenges as well. While the latter had, until recently, only a nominal presence in the State at the grassroots level, the former had previously failed to convert its good governance record into a popular mandate. In 2004, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu was voted out of power after serving two successful terms as Chief Minister. The party has spent a decade in Opposition since then. For now, the BJP-led alliance is counting on the nationwide Modi wave, which by all accounts seems to have hit Andhra Pradesh as well, to propel itself to power in the State. The support of charismatic figures like Mr Kalyan will add significantly to the growing strength of the BJP-TDP alliance which, from all accounts, is forging ahead.
Also, the BJP-TDP alliance has been through a rough patch in recent weeks and the vote of confidence from Mr Kalyan will help put its campaign back on track. Differences over seat-sharing in Telangana had fuelled reports of a split in the alliance, just a few weeks old at that time, but those have been resolved in the nick of time. Interestingly, one of the reasons that had local TDP leaders worried was the disruptive impact on vote-share if Mr Kalyan put forth his candidates. Anyway, with the nitty-gritty of candidate selection and local-level politicking sorted out, the BJP-TDP combine should now maximise the potential of the Modi-Naidu ticket. Both leaders have a record of good governance. They have delivered on their promise of development, and, together, they should be able to attract the votes of those who demand progress.