APRIL ISSUE

of D Purandeshwari Devi , saw many
others take the door out. The party has
lost 75 of its leaders who had won in
2009 to various parties in the past three
months: 33 MLAs have joined the YSR
Congress while 27 have gone over to the
TDP.
While this is the case of the MLAs, 11
MPs from the Congress have also joined
35
“It will be a total sweep in favour
of YSR Congress. Of course
Chandrababu Naidu will be the
runners-up, but he will be a second.
He may end up with 30 to 35
Assembly seats only.” Clearly the
Congress is finding it difficult, as
Seemandhara goes to polls on May 7.
the YSR Congress Party, TRS, BJP,
TRS and also the Jai Samaikyaandhra
Party launched by Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Three each among these joined the YSR
Congress and TDP, two each crossed
over to the TRS and Jai Samaikyandhra
Party and one to the BJP.
So where does it leave the Congress?
It is far behind its breakaway party
YSRCP and Chandrababu Naidu-led
TDP. While a huge response to Jagan’s
campaign rallies in the state is visible, it
is the first chance for the young leader
to make a government on his own.
The confidence is so much that Jagan’s
speeches now dwell around building
a new state capital for Seemandhra,
without specifying whether it will
be Ananthapur , Vijayawada or
Vishakhapatnam. Speaking on phone to
PointOut Jagan said, “The new capital
city will have the best connectivity to
all the districts apart from Hyderabad.
If I have to ask someone staying in
Hyderabad to come and settle in the
new capital city, I need to showcase the
infrastructure. I need to create euphoria
about it. So my vision of the new capital
is something new. Everything needs
to be done with super speed yet with
transparency.” On his political rivals,
especially the Congress, Jagan’s take
may worry the Congress even further,
“It will be a total sweep in favour of
YSR Congress. Of course Chandrababu
Naidu will be the runners-up, but he
will be a second. He may end up with 30
to 35 Assembly seats only.”
Clearly the Congress is finding it
difficult, as Seemandhara goes to polls
on May 7. While it has some consolation
that it is still in the race in Telangana
region but even taking credit for the
formation of the new Telanagana state
may not save the party. A senior state
leader on assurance of anonymity says,
“The central leadership muddled on the
T- issue and Madam was mis-guided by
vested interests especially some of the
Union Ministers who interfered with
the process too much, leaving us in the
state without any hold or say.”
But while the opportunity seeking
political leadership of the Congress may
have deserted the sinking Congress ship
, will the voters respond similarly or
differently remains to be a big question
which will be answered on the polling
days.