Historically, Gandhi family dominated Indian political scene and carried most every state with their family name most of the time. It’s a rare phenomenon for a state leader to carry any state for the family. To some extent Sharad Pawar (Maharashtra), AK Anthony (Kerala), and Daveraj Urs (Karnataka) helped the family significantly in winning their states once. But never before anyone dominated completely like YSR did in 2004 and 2009 elections. YSR single handedly, with little or no help from Gandhi family powered Congress party in the face of severe odds. And his untimely and unfortunate death in the helicopter accident endeared him to masses more profoundly. He is etched very deeply in the souls and hearts of the masses and Congress workers. This made Sonia Gandhi to think deep and concerned of the repercussions if more and more leaders like YSR rising and be dominant individualistic leaders in other states, even though it is mighty hard for this to happen on a regular basis. The small matter of over 150 MLAs and most party cadre supporting the candidature of YS Jaganmohan Reddy to inherit the leadership mantle after the death of YSR made the concerns of Gandhi Family grow even deeper.
Rosaiah was handpicked by Sonia Gandhi to be the Chief Minister, even though he had neither Legislature party nor public backing. As any other ordinary politician does, he is trying his best to consolidate his position. For this, he does not mind pandering to the forces within and outside the party that were against YSR, who got the party to power in the first place. Rosaiah did not even have the guts to contest as an MLA in the elections for fear of losing. He was made an MLC by YSR. Now he invites and attends the dinners with Eenadu Ramoji Rao, Andhra Jyothy Radhakrishna, and others even though these people want Chandra Babu and Telugu Desam to come back to power desperately. Every Congress worker knows why these vested interests are supporting Rosaiah to continue in power. But just like any ordinary politician, he does not mind the long term harm to Congress party if it serves his short term gains. One should not blame Rosaiah for this destruction of Congress party in AP. The blame squarely rests with Sonia Gandhi, as she should be the one that needs to be looking at the big picture.
What Sonia Gandhi and High Command might have thought was that the people eventually would forget YSR. They thought a few months would be reasonable time for that. The unfortunate floods must have surely erased YSR from people’ minds. If that failed, KCR’s fake hunger strike and Telangana agitation must have done the trick. It’s also been more than seven months since YSR died. The combined effect of all these factors must have worked the magic and YSR is no more now. To the nightmare of Gandhi family, YS Jagan’s Odarpu Yathra and its stupendous success and great crowds it attracted proved beyond any doubts that YSR lives deep inside the souls of masses and it would take generations for him to be forgotten. YS Jagan and people proved that there is only one tall leader in AP Congress and every Congress worker knows who he is. YS Jagan proved in nine days what the so called I am also in CM race pretenders could not prove in their lifetimes. YS Jagan rose like a phoenix from ashes.
The time has come for Sonia Gandhi to bite her lower lip and accept the reality that Andhra Congress party and its success belongs to YSR and let the people’ choice of YS Jaganmohan Reddy (the true successor of YSR) to be the Chief Minister or let her ego play more mind games to let Congress party go to dogs and Chnadra Babu and TDP come back to power. With one more victory in 2014, Congress Party can bury TDP deep in the ground or let Congress be buried with a loss. Sonia Gandhi holds the keys.
Written By Gurava Reddy, Atlanta
