It is definitely a rude shock to the YSR Congress party to lose out to the Telugu Desam Party in the race to power in Seemandhra region.
For its president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who toiled day and night along with his mother Y S Vijayalakshmi and sister Y S Sharmila, to sustain the momentum for the party among the people, it is definitely a setback. On the other hand, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu managed to wrest power without soiling his shirt much.
So, what exactly went wrong for Jagan and right for Naidu in the elections? Why did people who turned in large numbers for Jagan and his family, voted for the TDP in Seemandhra? Where did Jagan falter in assessing the mood of the people?
A quick review of the reasons for Jagan’s failure to bring his party to power reveals that it was Jagan’s overconfidence that led to the debacle. He believed his own surveys rather than the actual ground report. He was clearly misled by his coterie comprising people like Ramakrishna Reddy.
Secondly, during his campaign, he had harped on Samaikyandhra issue, which was actually a non-issue for the people there. Thirdly, his attack was more on the TDP and its rule 10 years ago, without realizing that people’s memory is short and they remember only the latest rule and not the government a decade ago. It only brought sympathy for the TDP.
Fourthly, Jagan jumping the gun over support to the NDA. In his eagerness to win over minorities – Muslims and Christians, he declared that he would not support the communal BJP. In the process, he failed to acknowledge the emotional wave in favour of Narendra Modi across the country. It was here that Naidu had gained an edge over Jagan. He quickly grasped the Modi factor, changed his colour instantaneously, shedding his secular mask and openly supporting the BJP. And that favoured the TDP.
And the TDP president played the caste card more effectively than Jagan. While ensuring the consolidation of Kamma vote bank strongly in favour of the TDP, Naidu also managed to woo Kapu voters by roping in Power Star Pawan Kalyan. All these factors helped Naidu to gain the upper hand.
