YSR Congress announced that its MPs would resign on the last day of parliament session if the no-confidence motion is not taken up and special status is thus denied again. The party is exerting pressure on TDP to also seek the resignation of its MPs to send united message to centre. However TDP maintains that resignations do not yield any advantage and it’s MPs would continue to fight while remaining in office. But, TDP which initially said that no-confidence motion is only a last resort, was compelled to first support YSR Congress motion and later moved its own motion. The TDP earlier disowned the demand for special status when centre offered special package in lieu of it. But, the party as to retreat and reiterate the special status demand as the opposition persisted on it. Thus the cat and mouse game between TDP and YSR Congress continues as the sentiment runs high on election eve.
The TDP has already exhausted its weapons like withdrawal of ministers form Modi ministry, snapping ties with BJP led NDA, declaring an all out war on BJP and finally moving no-confidence motion. The party would subsequently launch campaign to tell the people how the BJP led central government ditched Andhra Pradesh.
However, the BJP is not a political contender for the TDP. The YSR Congress is the main opposition. An all out war on BJP would create hostile atmosphere for the saffron party. But, both the TDP and the YSR Congress besides other parties like Congress, the Left and even Jana Sena which are also finding fault with BJP will compete for the advantage emanating from vilifying BJP.
Here comes the competition between TDP and the YSR Congress. The next move thus becomes critical for further campaign. The YSR Congress has already announced its programme which concludes with the resignation of MPs in protest against denial of special status.
The TDP is in a Catch- 22 situation. If it also decides to seek the resignation of its MPs, it would only be following the action of YSR Congress. If not, the YSR Congress and its supremo would launch scathing attack on TDP that it is clinging to positions. This is precisely the tactics adopted by the TRS against the Congress legislators during the Telangana movement and finally benefitted from it.
Jagan Mohan Reddy has the advantage of announcing the party’s programme much early at a time when the TDP was dilly dallying on whether or not to exit NDA.
At different points of time, the TDP and YSR congress were each getting upper hand in the political game around special status. The YSR Congress lagged behind as TDP was the first to react on the union budget showing Andhra Pradesh step motherly treatment. That was the time YSR Congress leaders like Vijayasai Reddy was praising the budget. But, Jagan tried to snatch the opportunity from the TDP by focussing on special status. The TDP was trailing in the race as it disowned special status for special package. But, Chandra Babu Naidu with his decision to withdraw the ministers could attract the attention of everyone. But, as he remained indecisive on pulling out of NDA, the YSR Congress took an advantage and fired the no-confidence salvo and could get upper hand again. But, The TDP supremo by pulling out of NDA, moving his own no-confidence motion and successfully garnering greater political support due to his stature in national politics could limit the damage and even move ahead of the opposition YSR Congress. But, with now Jagan Mohan Reddy announcing the resignation of his MPs and the TDP still remaining indecisive, the state politics would witness fresh round of competition between the ruling TDP and the opposition YSR Congress.
