Will Modi-Shah assurances change Andhra minds

Finally the political air in Andhra Pradesh has become clear. The Centre is fully convinced that the state had been pushed into debt trap and had not witnessed any development in the last five years. What the state had seen was nothing but “Corruption, Corruption and Corruption.” These are the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Sunday the Union Home Minister gave a detailed explanation as to what made the TDP-Janasena and BJP come together. He said it was to put an end to Land, Sand and liquor mafia and put the state back on track.

The Prime Minister too did not mince words during his two public meetings at Rajamahendravaram and Anakapalli. He not only tore into the five year rule of the YSRCP but also made it clear that the schemes which YSRCP was claiming to be their own were all central schemes and that Jagan had changed the names and had put his sticker to it.

Modi clearly assured that the double engine Sarkar at Delhi and Andhra Pradesh will put the state back on track and will complete Polavaram and other irrigation projects in North coastal AP. He in his own style said the Jagan had claimed the legacy of YSR but had totally ignored all the projects started by him. Countering the claims that YSRCP had given houses to large number of people, Modi said while centre had sanctioned 21 lakh houses under PM Awas Yojana, even 50% were not allotted to the beneficiaries and he even took away the sweetness from the sugar cane farmers and their lives.

He appealed to the people to take up the responsibility to go to every door step and convey his regards to everyone and appeal them to vote for NDA candidates so that their voice would be heard in Lok Sabha and the NDA government in state would work for their welfare. The aim of the NDA government according to Modi was to restore the sweetness in the lives of people of Andhra Pradesh. For a change, he said that the centre had been doing all that was necessary for the state but it was the state government which did not utilise the help. It even failed to allot land for special railway zone and pushed the state which was at number one position during the regime of TDP to zero level.

He even gave a glimpse of the road map for the sugarcane farmers saying that they would promote mixing of ethanol with petrol and will set up food processing units for sugarcane farmers. He also touched another nerve line of north Andhra, the fishermen community and assured them necessary processing units would be set up to enhance exports of fish and would also get them organic feed. On the financial front, he said they would get kisan credit cards and other benefits that are extended by Centre.

This was the kind of clarity the people of Andhra were looking for from the BJP which had earned a name in the last five years of being pro YSRCP. The rank and file was of the view that unless Modi and Shah open up and give clear assurances, transfer of vote from TDP and Janasena to BJP wherever their candidate was contesting would become difficult.

The assurances given by these two leaders had ushered in a new enthusiasm among the saffron brigade. It now remains to be seen how active the BJP cadre would be in booth and poll management on May 13. On the other hand, the TDP rank and file also feels elated and has intensified its door to door campaign. The next four days are going to be crucial for the alliance partners as well as the ruling party as they will have to effectively counter the Modi Shah criticism of the government and convince people on why they deserve a second chance. Time is short, task is big.