Hyderabad: Fresh from Karnataka and Telangana wins, Congress High Command is gearing up for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections next year in Andhra Pradesh.
In this regard, the party high command has convened APCC coordination committee meeting in New Delhi tomorrow to chalk out a strategy for the elections.
Sources in Congress said the meeting would be attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi, APCC president Gidugu Rudraraju, AICC in-charge of AP affairs, Manickam Tagore, CWC member N Raghuveera Reddy, Koppula Raju, Senior Congress leader K V P Ramachandra Rao, Chinta Mohan, J D Seelam among others.
Ruling YSRCP led by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telugu Desam supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan and BJP president Purandeshwari and other smaller parties have geared up for polls.
Andhra Pradesh has been a weak State after bifurcation for Congress and it aims to improve its performance in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections next year.
After bifurcation of Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh, people in Andhra Pradesh were furious over Congress for dividing the State and failure to protect their interests. People rejected Congress in both the polls, and voted for Telugu Desam and later newly formed YSRCP led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The State, facing fund crunch, is also yet to have a capital city and Hyderabad has been the joint capital now.
While Chandrababu Naidu proposed Amaravathi as the new capital and launched construction work with much fanfare, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy whose party YSRCP romped home victory defeating Naidu, dumped the capital plan, accusing TD leaders and their supporters of buying lands around the proposed capital city, for monetary gain and personal aggrandisement.
YSRCP and Telugu Desam became the major contenders for power with Congress, BJP and Jana Sena relegated to background and failed to impress voters till date.
“Congress will contest 2024 elections in Andhra Pradesh on its own strength. We will ensure Special Category Status for the State,” asserts PCC chief Gidugu Rudra Raju.
PCC chief exhorts the electorate to reject the TDP, the YSRCP and the JSP as they ‘compromised on State’s interests.’
In a surprise development, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who was YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s architect for big win in 2019, now shifted sides and met TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.
Prashant Kishor air dashed to Vijayawada in a private jet accompanied by TDP leader Nara Lokesh and other senior members of Telugu Desam.
Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP swept the 2019 polls winning 151 assembly seats out of 175, with Telugu Desam relegated to its worst show of just 23 seats.
In 2014 elections, Telugu Desam led by N Chandrababu Naidu in alliance with Jana Sena Party led by actor Pawan Kalyan and BJP won 103 seats.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is trying for another win banking heavily on his welfare schemes, tried to checkmate Naidu, sending him to jail for alleged scams during his tenure. But will it fetch him votes in the wake of anti-incumbency is to be seen.
Telugu Desam, Congress and BJP are banking on YSRCP anti-incumbency. Congress leaders feel that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, which had galvanised the party across the country, will also help the party in AP.
In another development, YSR Telangana Party president Y S Sharmila is also likely to merge her party with the Congress in the first week of January 2024.
Sources say Sharmila may get a key post in the party central leadership with an active role in Andhra Pradesh during the state assembly and the Lok Sabha polls. This could lead to clash within the family.
Congress has already appointed Ex Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to head Congress Manifesto Committee for 2024 Lok Sabha election.
AICC General secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is part of 16-member panel.
Telugu Desam is confidant of returning to power this time and has already announced “Bhavishyathuku Guarantee” (Guarantee to a bright future) manifesto. Naidu has joined hands with Pawan Kalyan to take on Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Politics in Andhra Pradesh is heading for a major showdown between YSRCP, Telugu Desam, Jana Sena, BJP and Congress.
Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, accused Naidu of copying his schemes in the manifesto for assembly polls and termed TD mini manifesto as ‘bisi bele bath’- a Karnataka recipe with rice and vegetables in the form of khichdi.
After Telangana, Andhra Pradesh is all set for a showdown for power next year.
