Many game changing factors for TDP, YSR Congress

••DBT model welfare Vs anti-incumbency are Jagan’s strength and weakness

••Development, welfare, key decisions are Chandrababu’s strong points  

Patibandla Srinivas

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Amaravati: A few hours before the general elections the contestants of major political parties and leaders are busy with ground-level work when the people are discussing the prospects by anticipating the election result.

The leaders of the ruling YSR Congress and the Opposition Telugu Desam parties have exchanged a war of words against each other during the last 50 days of the election campaign. 

The fate of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will be known after the elections. But now the YSR Congress party is facing a struggle by anti-incumbency factors with the government policies and decisions.  

Indeed, the YSR Congress led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy registered a landslide victory in the last election with 151 seats in the 2019 elections. But the situation has reversed following the anti-incumbency factor against the government.

The increasing prices of essential commodities, electricity charges, sand,l and liquor sales policy with high prices, no development, lack of employment opportunities, stalling of Amaravati capital construction works, and the recent Land Titling Act are anti-incumbency factors against the YSR Congress government.

On the other hand, the YSR Congress has depended upon its welfare schemes. As per the government’s view, Rs 2.74 lakh crore was directly deposited in the banks to the beneficiaries under various schemes. The YSR Congress has successfully implemented the pension door delivery scheme across the State. It has some positivity from the scheme. But now the TDP announced a new pension amount enhancement from Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 monthly. In this backdrop, how the pension holders would extend their support to the YSR Congress government is a million-dollar question.

Besides, the TDP announced Rs 10,000 for volunteers as an honorarium. So far the YSR Congress believed the volunteers could play a game-changer role at the grassroots level. But the volunteers’ support point has also become neutral following the issue that was included in TDP’s manifesto. These are also key decisions from TDP’s side.

However, the TDP is mainly dependent on the anti-incumbency factor. Apart from this, the government employees, neutral voters, youth and educated sections still have confidence in the leadership of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu. His first two signatures towards Mega DSC and Land Titling Act would also act as game changers, as per the ground realities.   

The stopping works of important projects like Polavaram and Amaravati capital construction and Vishakha Steel Plant privatisation and YS Vivekananda Reddy’s murder issues will also play an important role in the present elections.

The political alliance with Jana Sena would help directly and the BJP’s support would be useful morally for TDP.