Political parties eyeing “water politics” on Krishna delta for 2014 general elections.
A view of River Krishna near the Prakasam Barrage. Though the river appears calm, political parties look to quench their thirst for votes by stirring up farmers.
Vijayawada: Political parties in the district are looking at water to quench their thirst for votes in the run up to the 2014 general elections.
Krishna delta, under the limits of Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts, may witness politics over water or “water politics” in the coming days, following the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal verdict and also the proposed inauguration of the Pulichintala project.
All political parties are keen to attract the farming community, which is maintaining a distance from politics, hoping to get the upper hand over their rivals six months ahead of the general elections.
A majority of the voters in the delta are connected to the agriculture sector and have by and large kept away from political activities, including the Samaikyandhra agitation in the past. But all that can change as the political parties are trying to tap into this vote block.
The three main parties in the delta region, the Congress, Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress, are planning to organise various activities and latch on to any issue that would attract the farming community.
The Congress leaders and activists in the area are busy, making arrangements to ensure that the public meeting of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to dedicate the Pulichintala project to the nation on Dece-mber 7 is a humungous success.
Most of the activists busy with the arrangements are those who don’t want to join the YSRC or the TD.
According to reports, the CM may announce the Rabi crop schedule for Krishna delta at the public meeting. If the announcement is indeed made, the timing could not be more apt, as the entire farming community is eagerly waiting for the Rabi crop after two consecutive crop holidays and the recent losses due to the vagaries of the weather.
The CM’s supporters plan to utilise the public meeting to project Reddy as not only a Samaikyandhra leader, but also a strong supporter of the farmers in the delta. They will undoubtedly utilise the Pulichintala project and the Rabi crop schedule (if announced) to attract the farming community.
The Brijesh Kumar Tribunal verdict has given the Opposition ammunition to take on the ruling party.
The main Opposition party, the TD, is planning to latch on to the verdict, and also what it terms as lapses of the state government, and make inroads among the voters.
The party’s district president has announced the TD would organise a massive protest at Praka-sam Barrage on December 4 against the verdict. TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is likely to participate, he said. The TD plans to highlight against the Tribunal’s verdict and also the anti-farmer policies of the state government. The party also plans to focus on the delay in delta modernisation works.
Meanwhile, the YSRC is busy targeting its two main rivals. The party want to highlight the various welfare schemes introduced by late CM Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and tell the farming community that it is the only party that cares for them.
The party has already staged protests against the Tribunal verdict and plans another round of agitations to get the farmers’ support.
( Source : dc )
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