Welcome to the New Year 2012. And on behalf of Greatandhra.com, we wish all the readers a happy and prosperous new year.
Everybody expects the New Year will bring better prospects and prosperity in their careers and lives. So do our political leaders in the state. It is nothing but natural that every political party hopes to not only retain its identity, but also win the confidence of the people in the New Year.
The political analysts have already started what is in store for the major political players in the state in the New Year. Let us see what is going to be the likely fate of politicians in the state:
N Kiran Kumar Reddy: The Chief Minister has just completed one year, fighting against all odds. Though Kiran was able to survive the no-confidence motion in the assembly, thanks to the support extended by 17 MLAs of the Praja Rajyam Party headed by megastar K Chiranjeevi, his troubles are far from over.
The biggest challenge for him in the coming year is to survive in power, because he is still not in a position to get the support from all quarters in the Congress party.
It is an open secret that he is facing threat from Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana, and revolt from a few other ministers. Despite his populist schemes, he is still not able to win the support of the people. The forthcoming by-elections to 24 assembly seats are going to be an acid test for his leadership abilities. And if the Congress fails to get even a single seat due to Telangana and Jagan factors, there would be a certain revolt against him.
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy: The New Year is going to be very crucial for this young and belligerent MP from Kadapa as his leadership abilities are put to test in the forthcoming by-elections. Even if he is able to get at least 12 MLAs elected for his YSR Congress party, there will be no looking back at him and he will go great guns towards the 2014 elections.
However, the ongoing CBI cases against him and the Telangana factor are going to be the biggest challenge for him. He has already moved his pawns towards wooing the people of Telangana by deciding against contesting the by-elections in the region. If he is able to build up the party in the coming months, despite the hounding by the CBI, he will have a bright future.
N Chandrababu Naidu: The Telugu Desam Party president is leaving no stone unturned to get back into power by 2014 elections.
A shrewd politician that he is, Naidu has been able to neutralize the impact of Telangana factor to a considerable extent by touring different parts of the region in the name of Rythu Poru Baata. His party leaders from the Telangana region are going all out to run down Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao, but one wonders such attacks would help the TDP or prove counter productive.
In the Seemandhra region, too, Naidu is desperately trying to improve his party’s position by continuously touring the areas; but the biggest disadvantage for him is the lack of credibility and the growing support for Jaganmohan Reddy. If the TDP fails to get even three or four seats in the forthcoming by-elections, Naidu’s leadership would come under scrutiny and he can almost been written off from the state politics.
K Chandrasekhara Rao: With the Congress high command turning a blind eye towards the Telangana statehood issue, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president is all the more happy as he has set his eyes on the 2014 elections. And he wants to build up the party strength by winning at least four to five seats in the forthcoming by-elections.
If the Congress high command comes out with any package or the Regional Council formila or Second SRC, KCR will have enough work all through the New Year. It will also expose his strategies as to whether he will have a tie-up with the YSR Congress party or incline towards the Congress, in case the high command concedes Telangana. In any case, it will be a favourable situation for KCR.
K Chiranjeevi: The less we talk about this gentleman’s political career, the better. The only interesting point in the New Year is whether Chiranjeevi will make it to the Central cabinet and his party MLAs in the state cabinet. Otherwise, his political career can almost be written off.
