Telugu States seem all set for twists & turns ahead

Some people who have in-depth knowledge on astrology and Vedic sciences have predicted that next five years (2023-2028) the world would be on a corrective course regarding environment, politics, economy, air and train accidents, and that outbreak of new diseases may not be pandemics but diseases could cause some concern etc.

The predictions include some disturbing trends such as the massive earthquake witnessed in Turkey etc. Incidentally, the Turkey earthquake occurred two days after a prediction went viral on social media. The damages they predict would be more particularly in other parts of the globe. Its impact in India will be there but the intensity would be on a low scale – because of the religious practices and prayers that the people in the country follow, which they say generate more of positive energies.

Well, there is no way one can predict exactly what kind of natural disasters would strike the mankind, but one thing is for sure; politically, too, there would be some upheaval. With Lok Sabha elections due next year and some Assembly elections to be held this year, one can be certain that administrations will take some beating for next one year and all parties, regional and national, will be busy accusing one another, working out strategies and counter strategies including new Revady's under the garb of welfare measures. All parties are in the process of packing their promises based on caste, community and religion.

The Union government which continues to be in a win-win situation as of now, notwithstanding the claims of non-BJP parties that they would pull down the NDA government, would go on a massive and aggressive propaganda about the PM's Yojanas.

Team Modi has an advantage in the Hindi belt. In spite of the noises made by parties like Samajwadi Party in UP, Nitish and Co in Bihar, AAP in Delhi etc., people in that part do not appear to be anti-BJP yet. The BJP may face some problems in states like Bihar but in Rajasthan it is hopeful of coming to power. In Karnataka, uncertainty prevails on whether BJP would win comfortably or not.

The BJP is also mulling to reduce the excise duty on petrol and petroleum products heavily and would ask the states to follow suit. If the states agree to do so and forego the income from taxes on petrol and diesel, BJP can claim it is their success. If the states do not reduce the taxes, then it becomes a political weapon for BJP. Along with this, the BJP will also be on a spree to make fun of the state governments as we had recently seen the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman taking a dig at the Telangana government's criticism that Modi's claim of $5 trillion was a big joke.

BJP knows well that this is just the beginning. Having morphed into its new avatar called BRS, the pink party would naturally be sharpening its criticism against the Centre to draw the eyeballs of other parties and people at the national level. How effectively, the Team Modi would deflect them remains to be seen.

But one thing that needs to be understood is that the BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao who is trying to gain some foothold in national politics has a major task of ensuring that the party is back in the driver's seat for the third consecutive term with own majority.

The ground reality, which the pink party leaders may accept or not, is that there is an anti-incumbency factor on many counts. But then the BRS to some extent is also in a win-win situation because just like the political scenario at the Center, here too the opposition is divided. The Congress party leaders in the state continue to pull in different directions. There are divided into two groups – TPCC president's loyalists and the seniors. Despite the intervention of AICC leadership, they refuse to put their differences on the back burner. Each alleges that the other group is a covert in Congress and is helping the pink party and this is the greatest truth they are speaking of. Which group is covert, and which is not soon, would it become clear, at all?

The pink party which does not want to lose an opportunity has already indicated that it is willing to throw open its doors to the winning horses to join them. This is so because the BRS, too, has realised that there are many grey areas and some of the sitting MLAs may not win this time due to the anti-incumbency factor.

Whatever one may say, the fact is that when the local representatives fail to live up to the expectations of the people, the latter are bound to express their dissatisfaction. If they have been on a winning spree for more than two terms, the leaders, too, tend to take people for granted and become egoistic. Such a situation is there in many constituencies. Hence, there is every possibility that the pink party wants to see that it gets strengthened in other areas while trying to take corrective measures in the seats which could pose problems for them.

While the BRS has announced some new schemes in the budget 2023-24 and is still contemplating to come up with more schemes to win over the people and weaken their opponents, the issues such as Delhi liquor scam will continue to be thorns in their flesh till the elections are over.

The saffron party, too, has been making a lot of noise in the state. It has been going aggressive and has already pressed all its associated wings into action, who are quietly on the job to establish contact with the people, campaigning about the policies and schemes of the Union government and are trying to expose the omissions and commissions of the state government. BJP is certainly trying to create an impression that it alone can challenge the ruling BRS and is certain to come to power in the state. In the days to come, it is going to further intensify its attempts and even Prime Minister would be visiting the state and address public meetings. While the BJP certainly would be putting up a fight which the pink party cannot ignore, but then coming to power is a distant dream for it. Yes, at the most, it would get some more seats, say, around 20 or so.

In the neighboring Andhra Pradesh, the political situation which was in favour of the YSRCP till some time back is now in a churn, with the result that the ruling party has now started realising that all is not well and the road ahead is as bad as the condition of roads in the state is – full of potholes. The opposition TDP and the Jana Sena are on the revival path and have been getting greater support from people, though it cannot be said with certainty that YSRCP would be thrown out of power.

Though the situation is fluid, certainly it's not a rosy picture for the YSRCP. The way the ruling party is trying to impose restrictions on the opposition parties, refusing police permissions for padayatras, road shows and meetings, it appears to be only helping them gain more popularity.

The year ahead from now onwards promises to be full of twists and turns. There could be political quakes and tremors, and derailment for some parties and elevation for some. But what one does not know is how all this churning would help the common man. Will he get relief from rising prices? Will all the schemes help in reduction of poverty? Let's see.