The Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has just completed one year in office and there is still four years to go for the big battle for power in the state.
Yet, the political atmosphere in the state has already begun gaining heat.
Both the ruling alliance and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) have started drawing out new strategies to outwit each other.
TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his deputy Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan are aggressively promoting the coalition's vision, expressing confidence in holding power for 15 to 20 years.
Pawan Kalyan, in the recent one-year anniversary meeting of the coalition, stated unequivocally that the YSRCP would not be allowed to return to power.
At the FICCI summit, Naidu reiterated that investors had bitter experiences under the previous YSRCP government, and warned of similar consequences if that "ghost" were to return.
He assured the public that his administration would take all necessary steps to prevent a recurrence.
However, surveys indicate public discontent with certain coalition MLAs, and especially Pawan Kalyan's silence on pressing issues is baffling the analysts.
Critics note the BJP has not shown the same aggressive posture against Jagan as the other coalition leaders have.
On the other hand, YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is also on the offensive, claiming widespread public dissatisfaction with the coalition’s performance. The party is preparing new campaigns to highlight the government's failure to fulfil its promises.
He is attempting to regain lost ground by focusing on welfare schemes initiated during Jagan's tenure — many of which the new government is now rebranding and continuing. He said struggles are not new to him or his party.
Whether YSRCP can recover its core welfare vote bank and reverse the 40% voter swing toward the coalition remains to be seen.
The political scene is heating up as Andhra heads toward Mission 2029.
