Mr. Naidu had been the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh for two terms from 1995 to 2004.
Huge anti-incumbencyFrom the results, it has become clear that a huge anti-incumbency wave had uprooted Mr. Reddy despite him successfully going ahead with many welfare schemes during his tenure.
Mr. Naidu and Mr. Kalyan were able to project a development model with industrialisation that would generate employment for the youth.
Both Mr. Naidu and Mr. Pawan were vocal in saying that an alliance with the BJP in the Centre would trigger “double-engine growth” in the State.
The final blow to Mr. Reddy was dealt by the Land Titling Act.
Telugu Desam Party’s national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu is all set to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time after handing a crushing defeat to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party in the Assembly election held simultaneously with the general election in the State.
The TDP, which is now part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) along with the State’s Jana Sena Party (JSP), secured 135 seats. The Pawan Kalyan-led JSP handsomely chipped in by winning 21 seats, while the BJP secured victories in eight seats.
On the other hand, the YSRCP had won 10 seats and led in one more seat as of 12.30 a.m. on June 5. It could be reduced to a minority with about 10 seats. It will not even have the status of Opposition party in the Assembly as the minimum requirement is 18 seats.
As part of the seat-sharing arrangement, the TDP contested in 144 of 175 seats, while the JSP and BJP fought in 21 and 10 seats respectively.
Mr. Reddy is headed for a drubbing after he stormed to power by securing 151 of 175 seats in the 2019 election and reducing the TDP to just 23 seats.
For Mr. Naidu, Tuesday’s result is a powerful comeback, especially after he was arrested in September last year by the State police’s CID for involvement in the alleged Skill Development scam. Mr. Naidu had been the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh for two terms from 1995 to 2004. He was also the first CM of the residual Andhra Pradesh after its bifurcation in 2014.
Huge anti-incumbency
From the results, it has become clear that a huge anti-incumbency wave had uprooted Mr. Reddy despite him successfully going ahead with many welfare schemes during his tenure.
The anti-incumbency was so huge that many key Ministers in Mr. Reddy’s Cabinet such as Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao of Srikakulam, Fisheries Minister Seediri Appalaraju of Palasa, Deputy Speaker Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy in Vizianagaram, Speaker Tamineni Sitaram of Amadalavalasa, IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath in Gajuwaka, Home Minister Taneti Vanitha from Gopalapuram, Health Minister Vidala Rajini from Guntur (west), Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh from Penamaluru, Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu from Sattenapalli, Tourism Minister R.K. Roja from Nagari, and Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana in Cheepurupalli had to face bitter setbacks.
Even the party’s “number two” leader and former MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, who had contested the Lok Sabha seat from Nellore, was defeated with a huge margin by TDP’s Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy.
The NDA swept coastal A.P. and Uttarandhra (northern Andhra) while the YSRCP could only bag a few seats across Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra. As per Election Commission statistics, the YSRCP would win in only three seats across the coast from Srikakulam to Nellore.
Analysts say that Mr. Reddy who tried to ride high on his welfare schemes was no match for the NDA, as Mr. Naidu and Mr. Kalyan campaigned hard for a development model that combined welfare schemes.
Issues such as lack of development and local governance, and unemployment had become key factors which reportedly pulled YSRCP down.
The TDP and JSP said that except for promoting the volunteer system, the YSRCP government was not able to generate employment for the youth, and industrial development did not progress as desired.
Mr. Naidu and Mr. Kalyan were able to project a development model with industrialisation that would generate employment for the youth. Both Mr. Naidu and Mr. Pawan were vocal in saying that an alliance with the BJP in the Centre would trigger “double-engine growth” in the State.
The electorate also apparently were convinced that Mr. Reddy had focused on welfare schemes just to retain his seat and had pushed the State into a debt trap.
Other allegations such as deterioration of law and order, liquor and sand mafia being controlled by the ruling party, and rampant land grabbing also paved the way for a victory for the NDA.
The final blow to Mr. Reddy was dealt by the Land Titling Act. The Opposition projected this Act as “draconian”, and spread the message among the masses that the ruling party leaders were trying to push this Act only to grab their lands. As Mr. Reddy and his party failed to present an alternative narrative on the Act, the NDA successfully raked up this issue in the last phase of the election campaign.
Now, with Mr. Reddy reduced to a minority in the Assembly and BJP not being able to garner majority on its own at the Centre, a lot depends on Mr. Naidu to strike the right bargain.
The NDA alliance could win 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in State, with the TDP headed for wins in 17, the JSP two and BJP three.
This puts Naidu in a formidable position in the NDA negotiating table and he is once again in the driving seat, both at the Centre and the State. People are hopeful that he will be able to secure the Centre’s financial backing and investments that are crucial for the development of the State.
