Chandrababu sitting pretty

The spotlight was on two key figures in AP politics during the week – Leader of Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSRC and Jana Sena leader and actor Pawan Kalyan. Perhaps, political immaturity connecting them as a common thread could be the reason for both of them to be the centre of public attention.

Pawan became a talking point in public discourses for his naivety and his failure to be a Roman while in Rome, while taking the issue of Uddanam kidney ailments into the corridors of power. Jagan in electioneering at Nandyal demonstrated his lack of decency and experience as a seasoned leader in politics with his outbursts against Naidu which are out of taste with the peace-loving people.

Jagan finds himself at the centre of controversy after he lost balance and wisdom while attacking the CM at Nandyal election rally. Meanwhile, as if lending credence to the impression that Pawan is still a Naidu’s backroom boy, the JSP leader avoids critical comments on the TDP’s three-year rule. They seem to be playing into Naidu’s hands, who is out to decimate any rival to challenge his authority in the 2019 general elections. Cases are being booked against the YCP leader and the `yellow’ brigade has unleashed an anti-Jagan tirade

Jagan finds himself at the centre of controversy after he lost balance and wisdom while attacking Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the election rally. “There is nothing wrong if CM Chandrababu Naidu is shot dead right on the streets for his misrule and misdeeds,”

the YSRC leader was quoted as having said in the media. Visual media missed no chance to get into overdrive, holding live debates centering around Jagan’s comment. The ruling TDP spares no effort to cash in on his `uncivilised’ postures in the run-up to the byelection.

His effigies were burnt across the state, cases booked against the YCP leader in several police stations and the `yellow’ brigade unleashed anti-Jagan tirade. The YCP finds itself on a sticky wicket from the next day on, struggling hard to defend its leader from the mounting offensive.

It was a first public appearance of Jagan in the company of his political strategist Prashant Kishor. His marathon speech focusing on defections patronised by TDP, corruption, broken promises of the government etc., was spiced with anecdotes and parables from the classics of Mahabharat, Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana and holy books of other faiths such as Islam and Christianity.

The PK-aided well-articulated speech, showcased in a simple jargon blended with local dialect and diction, went down well with an impressive gathering at Nandyal. But the reported inciteful anti-Naidu comment spoiled the broth. With this, the rival camp obviously rakes up Jagan’s alleged violent faction background seeking to ask people whether he is fit to be the CM in a civilized society.

Of course, it is not the first and the last occasion to witness such ill-tempered and provocative outbursts of public figures. But Jagan is caught off-guard.

A few days before the Jagan’s show, Pawan Kalyan made a dramatic appearance in the power corridors to pose for TV camera crew with CM Naidu and to address a joint session on the issue of kidney ailments in Uddanam area.

His one-to-one-meeting with Naidu after the session let his image as emerging independent voice takes a beating. As if lending credence to the impression that Pawan is still a Naidu’s backroom boy, the JSP leader avoided critical comments over the TDP’s three-year rule at a media conference later.

He took a break from his busy film schedule and came out of his shell off and on in the past to try championing the causes of special category status, quota for his Kapu community and alleged coercive methods employed by government for mobilisation of land from farmers for the capital in Amaravati.

In the process, he sought to become a voice of people on public issues. Certain sections, particularly people from his community and educated youth, began to see him as a viable leader to fill the void left by the TDP in the state. However, some sections suspect that Naidu, driven by expediencies, keeps using Pawan to pre-empt Jagan whenever situation warrants.

Conspicuously, Kalyan remained silent over the governments at the centre and in the state that failed to deliver on major promises like special category status during the public appearance which he made after a long spell. To one’s amusement, the Chief Minister’s Office issued an official handout after the one-to-one interaction stating that Pawan was all praises for the CM for his “good performance” as Chief Minister in the last three years.

Naidu, credited with the art of manipulations and manoeuvres, is out to ensure that there will be no rival to challenge his authority in the 2019 general elections. He obviously puts all his machinery and resources to use, decimating the opposition camp led by Jaganmohan Reddy.

Besides, the CM with his craftsmanship and dexterity takes the Pawan’s stride too in his favour. In the process, Babu, understandably, wants to kill two birds at one shot by befriending Pawan – Keeping numerically strong Kapus in good humour on one hand and pre-empting him trying to crystallise anti-incumbency sentiment on the other.