The clear signs of resurgence of the Congress in the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh are creating noticeable ripples in the already complex equations.
A decade after being decimated from the political scene in Andhra Pradesh due to public anger over bifurcation of the State, the grand old party is leaving no stone unturned to make a comeback. The victory in Karnataka and Telangana spurred the Congress leaders to up their game in Andhra Pradesh which is gearing up for the forthcoming elections.
The ball started rolling for the Congress with Y.S. Sharmila taking over the reins of the party in the State as its president. Andhra Ratna Bhavan, the party office in Vijayawada, which wore a deserted look in the last many years, is now bustling with activity with senior party leaders holding series of meetings to motivate the cadres.
Besides infighting and lack of coordination in the party unit here, absence of a charismatic leader was a bane that added to the woes of the Congress. Ms. Sharmila seems to have filled this gap. Wielding loads of charisma and stage presence, she is persuasive and motivating, encouraging others around her to take risks and perform at their best, even when the task may seem near impossible.
Flanked by seniors rich in experience, she has been visiting district after district, reaching out to the party leaders and workers effectively and authoritatively through clear communication and articulation. Congress seniors are happy that her presence has been promoting an environment of collaboration and teamwork.
“2024 will be a turn-around year for the Congress in Andhra Pradesh,” declares the All-India Congress (AICC) party in-charge for A.P. Congress Manickam Tagore, who has been tasked with leading the team on the path of revival in the State. Now is the time for the Congress to return from exile (banvaasam), feel party seniors who aver that the anger against the party induced by the division of the State has dissipated. “The voters of 2024 are neutral in mind, a condition we have been waiting since long,” says senior leader N. Thulasi Reddy.
Fight for YSR legacy
Ms. Sharmila is aware that she is engaged in a fierce turf war with her brother and Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who came to power by invoking the legacy of his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and floating the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to push out the Congress and occupy its political space in the State. Now, Congress is looking to cash in on the same legacy to bounce back in its once stronghold through Ms. Sharmila.
Ms. Sharmila repeatedly refers to her lineage and insists that she is ‘Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, the daughter of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’. Her diatribe against the Chief Minister, calling him out for “failure on various counts” is seen by political observers as her strategy to create a disconnect between Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his claim to the YSR legacy.
“The Jagan government has completely shunned YSR’s ideologies. The ruling party (YSRCP) and the TDP have become slaves to the BJP at the Centre at the cost of the welfare of people in the State,” she says.
Seen as someone who can give a new lease of life to the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, the seniors in the party at the moment are focussed on winning back the YSR loyalists and those unhappy with Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s leadership. YSRCP Mangalagiri MLA who tendered his resignation from the party and joined the Congress is one such YSR loyalist. Party leaders say there are many more ready to follow suit.
In the forthcoming elections, the main fight will be between the YSRCP and the TDP-Jana Sena Party combine. JSP chief Pawan Kalyan is said to be trying to rope in the BJP in the alliance to prevent split of the anti-YSRCP votes.
The Congress has been urging people not to vote for either the YSRCP or TDP. “Both are playing into the hands of the BJP which has betrayed people of the State on implementation of the promises included in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014,” Ms. Sharmila cautions the public.
Cadres in upbeat mood
Meanwhile, despite large-scale dissent, the YSRCP continues to be a formidable force in the State. In the 2019 elections, the party polled 49.95 % votes, while the TDP was in second position with 39.17 % votes and 23 Assembly seats. The Jana Sena Party secured over 5% vote while the Congress and the BJP were wiped out.
Odds continue to stack against the Congress but the mood among leaders and cadres is upbeat and their enthusiasm intact, setting the right tempo for the battle of ballots. The unfolding political drama is engaging but it is too early to understand the undercurrents that will shape the future of the parties in the polls.
