Polavaram to temple attacks, 5 issues that may come to bite Jagan's YSRCP

Three years after the YSRCP swept to power in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government had failed on all fronts.

Former Andhra CM, Naidu, also claimed anti-incumbency had reached its peak and all sections of society were ready to show the door to the YSRCP in the 2024 Vidhan Sabha elections.

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On Monday (May 13), Andhra Pradesh is voting for its 175-member Assembly along with the 25 Lok Sabha seats.

In 2019, a Jagan wave secured 151 Assembly and 22 of 25 Lok Sabha seats for the YSRCP.

Now, Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has formed an alliance with the BJP and Pawan Kalyan's JanaSena Party (JSP) to take on the YSRCP.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, faces a crucial test.

"The YSRCP would be reduced to 51 from 151 (2019 result). It is my assessment that they will go back to where they started," said poll strategist Prashant Kishor in a recent interview.

"What [YS] Sharmila is standing for, shows how many people have felt let down by Jagan Mohan Reddy and his approach and conduct in the last five years," said Prashant Kishor, referring to Jagan Mohan's sister who is leading the Congress in the state. "Whose mother and sister are against them, what can others say about it," asked PK.

An array of simmering issues has made the elections the toughest Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP has fought.

From a delay in the Polavaram project, crucial for water to several districts, to no movement on the state's capital; from lack of attention to temple-attack cases to lack of jobs and the land titling issue, the Jagan government has faced relentless attack from the TDP, BJP, and JSP, eager to dislodge the YSRCP from power.

These are the five big issues that will act as the decider for the Jagan Mohan Reddy government as people give their mandate for and against it on Monday.

POLAVARAM PROJECT DELAY

The first major issue is the delay in the Polavaram project, a major irrigation project that has been in the works for 20 years and allotted Rs 21,000 crore.

Jagan and his government have been attacked by the TDP over the alleged discarding of the Polavaram project, which is important in solving the drinking water and irrigation problems faced by the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.

The project, which was initially estimated to cost around Rs 16,000 crore, has now escalated to over Rs 50,000 crore due to delays and cost overruns.

The TDP had alleged that Jagan discarded the project, fearing its completion would gain goodwill for its chief Chandrababu Naidu, who started the project.

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The NDA-led by the BJP has also alleged Jagan's government of the same. "By delaying the Polavaram project, despite receiving Rs 15,000 crore from the central government, the YSRCP has also stopped the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Andhra Pradesh recently.

10 YEARS ON, ANDHRA WAITS FOR A NEW CAPITAL

The other big issue is the lack of development of a new capital city for Andhra Pradesh. People's patience is being tested as it is 10 years since the state was bifurcated.

After Telangana was created in 2014, Hyderabad was mandated to be the joint capital of the two states until June 2024. Hyderabad is in Telangana and Andhra was supposed to have its own capital, located in its territory.

"Instead of completing the half-finished Amravati as the capital city, Jagan destroyed it, while promising three capitals. Now, he is backtracking on that too," alleged Andhra Pradesh's BJP spokesperson L Dinkar in February.

Chandrababu Naidu's TDP, which was in power when the decision to build Amaravati as the capital was taken, has accused the YSRCP of neglecting the city's development.

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The YSRCP, on the other hand, attacked the TDP for neglecting other parts of the state, and floated a three-capital plan, which too hasn't seen any progress.

The non-delivery of a capital city, while Jagan got himself the ultramodern palatial complex at Visakhapatnam's Rushikonda, could hurt him in his fight for a second term in office.

IS JAGAN LENIENT ON TEMPLES ATTACKERS?

The third big issue that could keep the Jagan-led YSRCP from retaining power in the state could be the cases involving the attack on temples. JanaSena chief Pawan Kalyan alleged that over 200 temples were attacked during the last five years of YSRCP rule.

Both Vijayanagaram's Ramatheertham Temple and Antharvedhi Narasimha Swami Temple and their priests came under attack.

The TDP and the JSP have attacked the YSRCP over the dilution of the investigations in these cases.

The TDP, using the attacks, hit out at the state government saying, that "the Jagan Mohan Reddy tenure would be defined by the unprecented wave of attacks on the sanctity of Hindu Temples and also the dignity of our priests".

"YSRCP's reign is not just an assault on physical structures and the people, but a blatant attack on the soul of Sanatana Dharma and the Hindu community. This cannot be the path our society takes," said Jyothsna Tirunagari, TDP's National Spokesperson.

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JSP's Pawan Kalyan, too, attacked the Jagan government, and linked the attacks to "a sign of law and order problem in the state".

"As many as 219 Hindu temples have been attacked under the YSRCP rule so far. There is no clarity on action taken by the government against the culprits," alleged actor-politician Kalyan.

JAGAN'S LAND TITLING ACT CALLED 'LAND GRABBING' TOOL

The Jagan Mohan government brought the AP Land Titling Act to digitally document land holdings in the state. This was the Centre's initiative, but land, being a state subject, the responsibility was with the YSRCP government.

Apprehensions that legally owned land could be seized by the government under the AP Land Titling Act grew, and the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance used the Act as a 'tool' to attack the YSRCP government.

The alliance, which promised to withdraw the Act if it came to power, called it "a tool for land-grabbing".

Naidu accused Jagan of a "sinister plan" to usurp lands in the name of digitalising land records.

The alliance also highlighted earlier land controversies involving the YSRCP, including the Amaravati land issue, linking it to the Act. By painting YSRCP as a threat to land and property rights, they aim to sway voters against the ruling party.

The comprehensive land survey is far from complete and might take at least another couple of years to complete. However, with the Act occupying the mind space of the worried voters, the narrative could dent Jagan Reddy's poll prospects.

UNFULFILLED PROMISE ON JOBS

Like in most of India, the allegations of lack of jobs could sway the voters against the ruling YSRCP.

"Jagan developed a habit of playing some drama every time an election approaches. This time, he is playing a 'Gulakarai' drama. Jagan promised to give 20 lakh jobs to the youth. Jagan said he would sign the mega DSC when he came to power. But he has done nothing for the youth. What he did was zero," TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu said at a recent public meeting at Nellimarla in Vizianagaram, while he shared the stage with Pawan Kalyan.

Not just the alliance of the BJP, the TDP, and the JSP, the Congress has also launched an attack on Jagan's unfilled promise on jobs.

Andhra Pradesh Congress president and CM Jagan's sister YS Sharmila demanded answers to questions pertaining to his promises made on jobs for the youth.

In an open letter addressed to CM Reddy, Sharmila reminded her brother of his promise to fill 2.3 lakh vacant posts in various government departments. She also demanded the government to give the total number of jobs it had provided.

Sharmila held Jagan responsible for Andhra Pradesh's unemployment rate touching 7.7%.

The TDP also accused the YSRCP of failing to attract investments.

That said, the YSRCP will have to wait for June 4 to see if at all these issues hurt his party's poll outcome. Anyway, it won't be as easy for the YSRCP to contain the BJP-TDP-JSP offensive, as easily it floated the punchy slogan, "Why not 175?".

Published By: Sushim Mukul Published On: May 13, 2024