‘Walking’ up to AP elections

In Andhra Pradesh, walking has assumed huge political manifestations. Political leaders are vying with each other to walk those extra miles to catch that vote which will bring them power. No wonder, that it is the season of padayatras in a State seen to be on the edge — the separate Telangana issue staring in its face.

Padayatra method

The man who made a fortune out of padayatras was Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. In 2004, he virtually walked his way to the Chief Minister’s post, dethroning the jet-setting, IT-savvy, Telugu Desam Chief, N. Chandrababu Naidu.

While the proliferation of media and technology points towards hi-tech elections, with use of SMS, the Internet, Facebook and other social media, Andhra Pradesh is seeing a reversal — back to basics as it were. The tried and tested Gandhian method of padayatra is being embraced by politicians of all hues.

There are two major instances where a well-thought-out, simple campaign captured the imagination of the people. In 1989, Marri Chenna Reddy, adopted novel protest forms — jail bharo, one crore signatures and the occasional protest march against N.T. Rama Rao. And NTR, the superstar-turned politician, literally rode to power in 1983-84, as the Telugu Desam Party he founded swept out the Congress (I).

In a record nine months, the thespian and powerful orator, NTR had criss-crossed the State in his famous Chaitanya Ratham , offering a sound alternative to the Congress (I) for the first time since the State’s formation in 1956. Chenna Reddy turned the spotlight fully on to the anti-middle-class policies of NTR and changed the perception of the voters.

Exactly 15 years later, another medical doctor, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (55), fitter, took up a more rigorous padayatra . The campaign saw Reddy walk nearly 1,500 km across the State. He convinced the people that the development model of Chandrababu Naidu was skewed.

YSR virtually ‘walked into power’ with a good majority, as people rejected the policies of Chandrababu, the son-in-law of NTR. YSR’s gambit of establishing mass contact and explaining to the poor the urban-centric development and anti-poor initiatives of the TDP yielded rich dividends.

As Chief Minister during 2004-09, he fulfilled many of the promises with schemes such as “Arogyasree” (free medical scheme), Indiramma Housing, Jalayagnam (irrigation), free education and rural employment schemes.

Three years after he died in a helicopter crash, the popularity of YSR’s pro-poor initiatives found an echo in the response that his son Jaganmohan Reddy received throughout his Odarpu Yatra (consoling families that lost a member).

Even in today’s hi-tech world, padayatra seems to have emerged as the most popular mode of catching people’s attention.

The road to 2014

With the State Assembly election due in May 2014, along with the General elections, there is already a visible build-up. The State is facing its biggest crisis.

The question of separation with Telangana lingers on with yet another all-party meeting scheduled for the end of December.

It was on December 9 and 23, 2009, that the Centre had made two major announcements on the process of formation of a separate Telangana State. Meanwhile, there seems to be a crisis of leadership across political parties, the absence of a mass leader with appeal in all the three regions — Telangana, Coastal and Rayalseema.

NTR and YSR were leaders who held sway across regions. It is ironic that the Telugu Desam still banks to an extent on NTR’s charisma to grab crucial votes (16 years after his death), while the YSR Congress led by Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy fully depends on the populist programmes of his father.

Chandrababu’s efforts

In the present confused picture, the first to hit the road literally was Chandrababu Naidu. The method he chose was walking. It is a paradox that Naidu, who at one time believed only in jet-setting and making presentations from his laptop, has embarked on this strategy. He is fighting health and political odds to explain to people the corruption of the Congress governments led by YSR and now Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Through his Meekosum (for you) campaign he also has to take on the separate statehood for Telangana, on which his TDP is still to come out clearly, as well as counter the tirade from K. Chandrasekhara Rao, his erstwhile cabinet minister and chief of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. With over a 1,000 km in his kitty, the leader, who once rubbed shoulders with the likes of Bill Clinton, and led roadshows across the developed nations to bring investment to Andhra Pradesh, is now sweating it out on dusty roads.

At another end is a younger, fitter and fresh face in politics, Y.S. Sharmila, daughter of YSR and sister of Jaganmohan Reddy (in Chanchalguda jail since May but calling the shots for the YSR Congress Party), on her own padayatr a to keep the party fit and fighting for the ensuing elections. She is drawing good crowds and is expected to make an impact. She carries the sympathy factor and is joined by her mother and widow of YSR, Vijayamma, a legislator at present. Will Jagan get bail before the elections is a million-dollar-question doing the rounds.

Similarly, how many desertions from different parties will he be able to trigger is another. Already, some leaders from both the Telugu Desam and Congress have started flocking to him.

Telangana factor

The other key political player in the State, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, is playing the sentiment and strategic positioning game to reach its objective of separate Statehood and power in Telangana. K. Chandrasekhara Rao is considering his options with both the UPA and the NDA at the national level. In the State, he is keeping everyone guessing on the kind of political alignment he will forge, or whether he will go alone.

While the opposition parties have begun early with the slow but steady process of padayatras to keep the poll momentum, what is Congress, which is drawing flak from all sides, trying to do? Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who just completed two years in office, has set out with a grandiose plan of matching YSR in schemes. Through his Palle Bata (village tours), he is busy flying in or driving to villages with promises, doles and freebies.

The State Government is being challenged on multiple fronts — the Telangana issue, power crisis, infighting in the Congress, corruption cases against cabinet ministers and a slowdown in economic growth.

The ‘walk-up’ to the elections, whether in 2014 or earlier in 2013, promises to be full of excitement. Andhra Pradesh, traditionally a Congress bastion, turned into a two-party set-up with Telugu Desam as main opposition. It has now slipped into a coalition era, similar to the Centre.

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