TDP wins MLC seat: Slap in face for Chief Minister Y S Jagan

HYDERABAD: Is YSR Congress tottering? Has its supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy lost grip and control over his own team of MLAs.

In a quick succession, the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) inflicted two humiliating injuries by handing defeats to the ruling party that has always arrogated a stranglehold among people and also among leaders and cadre of the party.

The TDP fielded former Vijayawada mayor Panchumarti Anuradha as its candidate, even though it knew its numbers wouldn’t measure up to have its nominee elected to the State Legislative Council from the MLAs’ quota.

The political calculations of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu when it comes to managing elections is just second to none. His dexterity and ability to take a calculated risk have always scored him brownie points.

The Telugu Desam has lost four of its elected legislators as they switched their loyalties to the YSRC after the elections. Vallabhaneni Vamsee (Gannavaram), Karanam Balaram (Chirala), Maddali Giri (Guntur West) and Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar (Vizag) crossed over to the YSR Congress.

However, two of the YSR Congress MLAs — Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and Anam Ramanarayana Reddy — openly defied Jagan and pledged their loyalty to the TDP.

Interestingly, the TDP could garner two more votes from the ruling party. Who those two legislators were who had cross voted to the TDP nominee would be established soon.

But, the learning for Jagan and his party’s poll managers is that they could not afford to be “drunk with power” and ignore the party leaders and cadre.

The two MLAs who had resorted to cross voting had indeed sent a strong message to the party leadership, which is already suffering from the wounds of loss in three graduates’ constituencies (to the TDP) in State Legislative Council.

North coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema were indeed bastions of the YSR Congress.

The leadership miserably failed in poll management even in a definite electorate, meaning that something was amiss politically. Lesson: arrogance doesn’t take parties too far. People know how and when to checkmate the tyranny of brute majorities. Now Jagan and team have to have their ears rooted to the ground. Else, everyone knows what’s in store for 2024.