Jagan’s juggernaut scare rivals - Bhandaru Srinivasrao (I.I.S.)

Jagan’s juggernaut scare rivals - Bhandaru Srinivasrao (I.I.S.)

The “Odarpu Yatra” of the Kadapa MP, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, appears to have not only sent shivers down the spines of the main Opposition Telugu Desam party, but also the former chief minister’s baiters, who successfully stalled the young scion ‘succession’ efforts after his father and former chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s death in a chopper crash..

Realizing possible opposition within the party’s rank and file, the young scion, in a calculated move, choose to take the nod of Chief Minister K Rosaiah as well the PCC Chief D Srinivas, besides the state’s political affairs in-charge and Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily, before taking up his “Odarpu Yatra’ (Consoling those who laid down or lost lives in the form of either ‘shock’ or ‘suicide’ on hearing the tragic news of his father and former chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s death in a chopper crash).

However, the programme had to be put off for a while due to political turmoil in the state over bifurcation issue. With dust being somewhat settled with the Centre constituting Srikrishna Committee to begin the ‘consultation’ process to accomplish ‘consensus’, Jagan too got clearance from the party higher ups to show his family’s gesture to all those died on hearing his father’s chopper crash news.

 His first-leg whirlwind four day tour of West Godavari proved to be a grand success with crowds milling at every of his meeting and all through the route he traveled. Though, he initially restrained himself not to talk politics, but the unprecedented crowds he drew made him speak about his father’s achievements. He described his late father first five-year tenure as ‘Swarna yugam’ (meaning golden era). He said his father, who strived for the uplift of poor, ensured all his schemes benefit them one way or the other. He vouched to strive for continuance of all those schemes.

The developments in the state congres during the post YSR era,made themain opposition TDP to expect intra squabbles within the Congress over the ‘succession’ issue will weaken the ruling party. The party was also quite happy for the Congress high command foisting K Rosaiah as Chief Minister, as they construed him as a ‘weak-knead’ leader.

That their calculations have gone hay-wire is evident from the fact that Rosaiah not only asserting himself and gaining control over the administration as day passes, but also the Jagan’s juggernaut receiving such tumultuous response, has become a major worrying factor.

Added to this, the Opposition TDP party is also pushed to the wall as it has to take a final call on the state’s bifurcation issue. In fact, the Telugu Deam party was born to promote unity of Telugus and protect their ‘self-respect.’ But, today, the party, like congress, is virtually divided on state’s bifurcation issue and while one section supports the ‘separate statehood for Telangana”, the other group strongly voicing for “integrated’ state.

Well, state bifurcation issue might have taken back seat for few more months as the Srikrishna Committee has begun the process, but with the by elections to 12 assembly constituencies which fell vacant due to the resignations of Telangana Rastra Samiti and Praja Rajyam, besides lone BJP member resigning, due sometime later, indeed put Naidu in a ‘fix’. If Jagan continue to get same response from the people in Telangana as he started distributing Rs 1 lakh compensation to each bereaved family, then even it may pose a serious threat to even TRS. Though the TRS has expressed its opposition to Jagan touring Telangana, can it stop its people from losing the benefit of compensation from Jagan? That’s the million dollar question only time will tell.

As far as Jagan is concerned, he got a great opportunity to travel length and breathe of the state under the ‘garb’ of ‘Odarpu Yatra’ to move closer to masses and win their hearts. Whether the slogans being rented air during his ‘yatra’ will be heard by the party high command or not, but he can boast of emerging himself as a mass leader like his father. Neither any one in Congress, nor in the Opposition could boast of such a claim. Chiranjeevi may be an exception as his yesteryear’s ‘mega star’ craze somewhat in tact.(13-04-2010)

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