Tirupati Campaign Trail Goes Off The Track – Prof K Nageshwar

Neither the people in position nor the opposition seems to be interested in raising the right issues on the Tirupati campaign trail. Religious beliefs of the candidates, political acrimony, and futile challenges are dominating the Tirupati by-poll election campaign, which serves no real purpose for the electorate.

The denial of special category status, the unfulfilled provisions of the bifurcation act, the Amaravati question, steel plant privatization, etc are heard only in feeble voice with peevish acrimony gripping the campaign. Petro prices, food inflation, economic ravage due to the pandemic, etc, are completely lost in the high decibel campaign.

The denial of special category status is reduced to ruling and opposition parties hurling challenges and counter challenges that have no value in a post-poll period.

TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu challenged the YSRCP MPs to resign to secure Special Category Status (SCS) to State and to press for implementation of all assurances given at the time of bifurcation. “The three TDP MPs, and TDP candidate Panabaka Lakshmi, if elected, are ready to put in their papers for the State’s cause,” he said while addressing a series of the election meetings.

The YSR Congress while in opposition made a similar demand on the then ruling TDP. Subsequently, party MPs resigned. But, the resignation of YSRCP MPs before the 2019 elections proved to be a hoax. Both the YCP and TDP are busy attacking each other rather than the BJP which is endowed with the responsibility to implement the law enacted by the parliament and the promises therein.
The BJP which so blatantly defends denial of special status has added communal tinch to the campaign by raising the religious background of YSRCP candidate that should have no relevance to the electoral choice of the voters. But the BJP has nothing to offer on the demand to exempt TTD from GST.

The reinstatement of Ramana Dikshitulu as the head priest and his subsequent portrayal of chief minister as Lord Vishnu is perhaps YS Jagan’s soft Hindutva response to the BJP-TDP aggressive politico-religious election-eve rhetoric.

The attack on Chandrababu Naidu allegedly at the behest of YSR Congress triggered a political storm that engulfed the by-poll campaign. Both the ruling and the principal opposition are now engrossed in a belligerent fight over the incident than on any serious issues confronting the people.
Meanwhile, controversy over benefit shows, premier shows, and the film ticket business of Vakeel Saab has spiced up the political debate. Thus, real issues give way to reel issues as BJP is desperate to cash in on the filmy popularity of its ally Pawan Kalyan.

The embittered voters of Tirupati and people of Andhra Pradesh remain, passive spectators, as the obnoxious political drama unfolds rendering the poll verdict superfluous.

-By Prof K Nageshwar

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