TD sees early elections in AP; YSRC says it would complete term

VIJAYAWADA: Some kite-flying is on in Andhra Pradesh about the "possibility" of early assembly polls. The opposition parties, mainly the TD, are dreaming of such an eventuality and are preparing the leaders and cadres for this, as had happened in the TS during the last leg of the first TRS term there.

The ruling YSRC denied any such plan on its part and asserted that the Jagan-led government will complete its full five-year term.

TD chief Chandrababu Naidu claimed he has information about early elections, much ahead of the 2024 schedule. The TD is ready to face the elections, he said, and predicted that the people will take revenge on the YSRC with their vote power because of its “massive destruction of, and anarchy in, the state and its anti-people policies.”

Naidu called for strengthening the party from the grass-root level by giving top priority to dedicated leaders, activists and cadres. He said the time has come for the TD to stand in support of the people by conducting meetings and protests in all the 175 assembly constituencies against the “atrocities” of the YSRC government.

Naidu said his party is ready to face early elections and asked the cadres to be prepared for it and ensure a massive win.

Telangana chief minister Chandrashekar Rao decided to go for early elections in 2018, a year before the scheduled 2019 dates, and this helped him to retain power. Charges of massive corruption and illegal activities had created a negative impact on the TRS government at that time. Hence, KCR went to the public, asking them to pardon those mistakes and assured them he would rectify wrongs if he was voted for a second time. This strategy worked well for KCR, political analysts here noted.

KCR took TS for polls eight months before the completion of his term. But, CM Jagan has more than two years of time left now, and hence the analysts feel there is no chance of early elections here in the immediate term.

Notably, the TD faced a series of debacles in all elections since 2019 when Jagan took power. This depressed its leaders and cadres. Last year also, Naidu had predicted simultaneous or early elections, so as to boost the morale of the TD leaders, cadres, and activists. This did not work as Naidu’s party faced humiliating defeats in elections one after another and the YSRC reigned supreme.

Analysts feel Naidu, faced to the walls, is trying to play the old trick to save the party from a total disaster, and hence is hinting at early elections.

Ruling YSRC leaders turned red over the campaign of early elections. Adviser to government (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy ruled this out and said there was no need for the CM to do so. “The YSRC would remain in the power for the full term.”

YSRC MP Mithun Reddy made it clear that the Jagan government has no plan for early elections.