Mainstream political parties in Andhra Pradesh, including the ruling YSR Congress party or the main opposition Telugu Desam Party, seems to be completely ignoring the real issues and playing petty politics.
The YSRC has not been making any efforts to retain its power in the next elections, while the TDP has not been making any efforts to get back into power in the next elections.
Both the parties are busy bothering about silly issues which are no way concerned with the real politics.
It has been nearly two and a half years since YSRC came to power in the state and he has to begin efforts to prepare the party to face the next elections due in another two and a half years.
When he was in the opposition, YSRC president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had already begun preparations for his marathon padayatra, thereby preparing the cadre to face the elections in 2019.
But the situation in the YSRC is completely different. Everybody in the party appears to be in a relaxed mood.
While Jagan is focussing only on the implementation of his pet schemes under Navaratanalu, his party leaders have not picked up pace to strengthen the party.
Though there were leaks from the party about the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle, there have been no such indications till now.
At the same time, the cabinet ministers are in a state of confusion and are not discharging their duties properly, following the reports that Jagan would induct all new ministers in the cabinet expansion. Some kind of disinterest has crept into the cabinet now.
The party cadres are of the view that Jagan should turn his attention on streamlining the administration and not on just Navarathnalu.
The party leaders should come into the people and improve the efficiency in the implementation of the welfare schemes.
On the other hand, the TDP which had won just 23 MLAs in the 2019 elections, lost some of them who defected to the TDP. The party’s position has not improved in any constituency, including in the sitting MLAs’ constituencies.
The party could not also project a political heir for Naidu. Though it is evident that Nara Lokesh would be the successor of Naidu, it was not officially disclosed, fearing that it might be a counter-productive for the party in the coming elections.
There is no clarity whether Nara Lokesh would be at least the chief ministerial candidate of the TDP. Unless there is a clarity on the leadership, it won’t help the party.
To be frank, the TDP leadership should give clarity that Lokesh is not the CM candidate. Only then, the party will have some future. But the TDP has been talking everything except the leadership issue.
With regard to the BJP and Jana Sena, the less said the better. Both the parties have not been making any efforts either to grow together or independently.
The BJP has no future as long as it continues to reject the special category issue or the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation.
But the BJP doesn’t want to talk about such crucial issues and tries to rake up religious issues, which won’t have any impact on the electorate.
Similarly, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan is also not able to decide his course of action, whether he should sail with the BJP or join the TDP camp.
Unless he gives some clarity on his political stand, there is no point in Pawan talking about all the other issues. He has to make up his mind and nurture the constituencies, where Jana Sena can win a few seats.
The Congress and the Left parties have no future in Andhra Pradesh. So, there is no way they can play any role in the state politics.
