Ugly poll rhetoric: ‘Jaban Sambhal Ke Baat Karo’

In the heat of campaign trail during this hot summer season, politicians, particularly those in the two Southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, are dipping tongue into dirty words. While the campaign between the YSRCP led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu are becoming bitter, the washing of dirty linen in public between the YSR family members is reaching a new peak with every passing day. The close fist is opening and various issues like comments on ‘who killed Babai’ to ‘who was responsible for adding the name of YSR in the FIR,’ based on which Jagan was sent to jail, and how the Additional Advocate General was appointed are coming out, leaving the voters aghast.

Though one finds punch lines and certain comments taunting each other in the North, by and large they don’t use demeaning words. They still believe in “Jaban Sambhal Ke Baat Karo.” But this unfortunate trend of using dirty language has crept into the two Telugu states during the last one decade.

Though the Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Congress distributing the country’s resources to infiltrators or Rahul Gandhi’s verbal lapse on rise in poverty in India and fomenting North South divide, they sound more dignified than the language that is being used by the star campaigners in the Telugu states.

While this is one side of the coin, there are allegations from the political parties that the Election Commission has so far not considered their demand for change of Chief Secretary and the DGP to ensure free and fair poll. They say it is time to crack the whip.

In 2019, the ECI had in a jiffy even without bothering to inform the then Chief Minister changed the Chief Secretary. This is what is causing concern for the opposition parties and the people are worried whether the EC would be able to ensure free and fair poll without any disturbance. This assumes importance in view of the bitter rivalry between the two main groups – the YSRCP and the NDA alliance.

These elections are sort of do-or-die for both sides and both are leaving no stone unturned to outwit the other. The CS and the DGP had failed to ensure smooth conduct of the first public meeting of the Prime Minister but still there has been no visible serious action except a couple of transfers of police officials and Intelligence Chief.

Modi had been visiting various states but such failure was never seen anywhere during this election. Why EC is silent and what will happen on May 7 and 8 when Modi would be visiting the state again is what the people including the NDA alliance partners are wondering.

The irony is that people in the state, particularly some of the government employees, are not even willing to openly comment on the manifesto of the YSRCP, the TDP and the Congress, saying that it would attract a violation of model code. It’s a weird argument. Manifestos are public documents meant for the voters to understand what the political philosophy and vision of each party for next five years is before they decide on whom to elect. The manifestos are supposed to be discussed among the people, in the media and debated from public platforms. How can that be a violation of model code? This shows how much fear the ruling party has instilled among the employees. A situation that is unique to Andhra Pradesh.