BJP’s Disastrous Show In AP: What It Indicates?

While the Jana Sena is happy with the poll results, the BJP which had gone to the polls in alliance with it, is disappointed with its performance.

Reminiscing the party’s performance in the last eight years, the BJP activists lamented that neither the change of leadership nor the BJP’s alliance with the Jana Sena has benefited them.

The party high command replaced Kanna Lakshminarayana with Somu Veerraju, both belonging to the Kapu community, in its bid to capitalise on the Kamma-Kapu rivalry triggered by the murder of Kapu leader Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga.

The BJP views Opposition leader and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, belonging to the dominant Kamma community, as a strong force in Andhra Pradesh rather than Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, associated with the Reddy community.

It is being said that the Kapu votes and the charisma of Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, who is a film actor, helped the party in faring better in the panchayat polls.

In 2013, the BJP won around 25 panchayats but this time, the party secured only a meagre 10 panchayats. The party functionaries feel that the BJP does not have any impact in the panchayat polls and that it is not a good sign, given the high command’s zeal to open its account in Andhra Pradesh during the next Assembly elections.

The BJP functionaries are unhappy that Somu Veerraju is not doing his bit to keep the party’s spirits high while in neighbouring Telangana, BJP state unit chief Bandi Sanjay is surging ahead in consolidating the party’s position.

On the other hand, it is learnt in some panchayats, the TDP indirectly supported the Jana Sena candidates, which also helped improve the latter’s performance in panchayat polls.

Lack of proper leadership is impeding the prospects of both the BJP and Congress in Andhra Pradesh.