If any body is standing between Nara Chandrababu Naidu and his dream of returning as the Chief Minister, it is YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the young president of the YSR Congress Party.
Jagan has emerged such a pivotal figure in the electoral battle in Seemandhra that every political party from the TDP-BJP alliance to the Congress is targeting him.While Naidu has marshaled all his forces and sewed up an alliance with the BJP in his do-or-die battle, 41-year-old Jaganmohan Reddy is taking him singlehandedly.With the campaign in 13 districts of Seemandhra is racing towards the climax on Monday, the TDP-BJP alliance backed by the popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan, has trained its guns at Jagan describing him as a “grave danger” for the future of the new State, late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son appears nonchalant, taking on the opponents with equal ferocity.
Jagan’s efforts are backed by his wife Bharati, sister Sharmila and mother Vijayalakshmi, who is contesting from Visakhapatanam lok Sabha constituency. The three women of the family are also crisscrossing the regions, conducting roadshows and addressing the meetings.If most of the Telugu media, including TV channels have shown soft corner for Naidu-led alliance, Jagan is relying his own Telugu daily and TV channel Sakshi to take home his message.
Jagan, who made his political debut under his father’s tutelage by winning Kadapa lok Sabha seat in last elections by emphatic margin of 1,78,846 votes, set off a political typhoon by revolting against the Congress leadership over succeeding his father following YSR’s death in an air crash in September 2009.Though he had demonstrated the support of a majority of Congress legislators, Congress high command, wary of ambitious young man’s mix of politics and business and alleged misuse of power under his father, refused to install him as the Chief Minister.
Spurned Jagan, backed by his family and a strong pro-YSR lobby in the party, parted ways with the Congress launched the new regional party YSR Congress named after his father vowing to continue his legacy of “populist politics”.That Congress is heading for a big trouble because of Jagan became clear when he won Kadapa lok Sabha constituency in by-election in May 2011 with record margin of 5,21,000 votes. His mother Vijayalakshmi too won Pulivendula Assembly seat with a huge margin.
Even as he launched a Statewide “Odarpu Yatra” or tour to console the families whose members reportedly died or committed suicide in shock reaction to YSR’s death, the Congress found its ranks depleting with more and more MlAs jumping out of the ship.At the same time, the dramatic rise in the assets and Business Empire of Jaganmohan Reddy over a short period of time became the subject of massive controversy and a judicial scrutiny. While YSR’s affidavit to the Election Commission in 2004 put Jagan’s assets at meager `9.2 lakhs, by April 2009 it had gone up to `77 crore and by 2011 to `365 crore. (In the latest affidavit for the 2014 elections, Jaganmohan has put his assets at `343 crore)
Following the High Court order to the CBI to investigate his alleged disproportionate assets, offices and residences of Jagan and family along with his business associates and investors were raided and Jaganmohan Reddy was arrested in May 2012.Jagan, father of two, had to spend 16 long months in Hyderabad’s Chanchalguda jail before he was granted bail as CBI filed as many as seven different chargesheets against him and his companies. The CBI charged him and his father conspiring to misuse of power, quid pro quo arrangements with the companies, which made investments in Jagan’s companies in exchange of undue favors making it the biggest ever scandal in the State’s history.
The vortex soon sucked in several top businessmen of the country as well as six senior members of YSR Cabinet. Those scams continue to haunt the State as the name of YSR’s close friend and advisor KVP Ramachandra Rao recently hit the headlines with FBI naming him in a USA court in a bribery case for granting a titanium-processing project in the State.
But Jagan maintains that the charges against him are a political conspiracy and vendetta for defying the Congress high command.Naidu, on the other hand, has made corruption the main plank of his attacks on Jagan. “If you give the keys in the hands of those who looted Andhra Pradesh, the situation will become worse,” he said.Even BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, is also unsparing in attacking Jagan on corruption issue holding YSR responsible for looting the State to fill the coffers of ‘mother and son’. But surprisingly, Jagan is yet to attack Modi personally. It is being seen as his willingness to do business with Modi-led coalition in the post-poll scenario replacing Naidu in the NDA.
In one of his media interactions he said he is open to support any alliance or party other than the Congress in the interest of Seemandhra. “I have kept all my options open except Congress,” he said.The Congress is using this stand to target Jagan. “Jagan will join hands with the BJP after the elections,” Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said in Kadapa, which has significant Muslim voters.
On the issue of Telangana, Jagan has been holding the Congress, the TDP-BJP responsible, pointing out that Naidu has sent a letter to the Central Government supporting Telangana State and BJP’s support to State reorganisation Bill in the Parliament.Naidu on the other hand has alleged a secret understanding between Jagan and the Congress. “Jagan in Seemandhra and KCR in Telangana are the puppets of Congress. YSRCP is going to merge in Congress after the elections,” is the common refrain of Naidu at his election rallies in Seemandhra.
The two are also clashing on the third plank of development. While Naidu and Modi sought to sell the dream of “gold Andhra”, Jagan is offering a mixed fare of development and welfare or “Rajanna Rajya” as he calls his father’s era.“Chandrababu is making impractical promises. People are not willing to believe them as he lacks credibility,” said Jagan referring to Naidu’s promise of free electricity and loan waiver. “If he is sincere, why he did not implement the welfare schemes when he was in power,” he asked.
“I can’t lie like Chandrababu. I want to be in public life and in your hearts for next thirty years,” he said. With various opinion poll surveys showing him ahead of Naidu, Jagan was brimming with confidence.“With five signatures and six developmental works I will change the fate and course of the entire State,” he said referring to his promises of welfare scehemes. On development front, his focus would be on building a world class capital for Seemandhra.
Buffeted by almost identical promises from others, people of Seemandhra will have a tough time in making a choice on May 7. But as one observer put it, by thronging to the rallies of all the leaders, the voters were also making the job of soothsayers very difficult.