Opposition parties and civil society organisations in Andhra Pradesh have long been complaining that YSRCP government headed by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is using ‘police force’ to stifle the voice of public and opposition parties and to harass his political opponents.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court’s serious observations on ‘police raj’ under YSRSP regime indicate that the concerns raised by opposition parties and civil society organisations were correct.

The High Court on Thursday said that the notices issued by Palamaneru DSP to opposition parties directing them to take prior permission from police department to campaign in elections for Kuppam municipality reflects the sad state of affairs at present in Andhra Pradesh.

Kuppam is the home constituency of TDP chief N.Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan government went all out to defeat TDP in Kuppam municipal elections.

It deployed thousands of YSRCP leaders and cadre in Kuppam who virtually laid siege to Kuppam and not allowing opposition parties to campaign and even to file nominations.

Palamaneru DSP has warned opposition parties that if they campaign in Kuppam with prior permission from the police department, he will initiate stringent action against them under the Indian Police Act.

The High Court wondered even the State Election Commission cannot issue such notices and shocked at the notices issued by the DSP.

The High Court also wondered whether the DSP may issue notices asking opposition parties to take prior permission from police department even to file nominations.

The court stayed the notices issued by DSP and allowed TDP leaders to campaign in Kuppam municipality.

It directed Chittoor SP to take an explanation for DSP on such notices and submit a report to the High Court.

The court adjourned the case to Monday.

The Andhra Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy seems to be in a state of fear even to release PRC report (pay revision commission) let alone implementing new PRC scales for state government employees and pensioners.

Leaders of various employees unions in Andhra Pradesh sat on dharna in AP Secretariat in Amaravathi for several hours on Wednesday demanding to make PRC report public.

With this, AP chief secretary Sameer Sharma rushed to CM Jagan’s camp office in Tadepalli to seek his permission to make PRC report public.

But Jagan reportedly denied permission forcing the CS to return to Secretariat empty-handed.

Why Jagan government is afraid to release PRC report is the question being raised in political as well as employees circles.

In Telangana, KCR allowed officials to release PRC report. However, the TS employees unions have burnt PRC copies after the report recommended just 7.5 % fitment (hike on basic pay) in December last year.

KCR has to personally intervene in this issue to pacify employees unions and announced 30% fitment in March this year against 7.5% fitment recommended by PRC. Employees unions went into celebration mode and thanked KCR for giving four-fold increase in PRC than actually recommended by the commission.

Now, Jagan reportedly fears similar anger from AP employees unions if PRC report is released. This is because the PRC might have recommended very lower fitment and submitted the report to Jagan. Since Jagan knew it’s very lower, he is afraid of making it public.

KCR has the advantage of giving more PRC since Telangana is a revenue-surplus state. But for Jagan, his government is already struggling to pay even existing salaries to employees on time as it is already reeling under heavy debt burden and revenue-deficit.

Under these circumstances, Jagan is not in a position to give higher fitment like KCR, and for that reason he kept PRC report a secret.

It was on November 6, 2017 that the then leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly and present Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy began the historic Praja Sankalpa Yatra which changed the polity of the state.

Taking his first step from Idupulapaya, he walked into the hearts of people covering 134 Assembly segments spread over 2,516 villages across 13 districts in 341 days.

The longest padyatra ever taken by any political leader in the country continued for 341 days, covering 2,516 villages, 134 Assembly constituencies. During this walkathon, Jagan Mohan Reddy addressed 124 public meetings and 55 community meetings.

Since he took over the reins in May 2019, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader has fulfilled most of the promises he made during his interaction with a cross section of people.

The host of schemes which the YSRCP government launched stemmed from the interaction Jagan Mohan Reddy had during his mega walkathon.

The schemes include Amma Vodi, YSR Asara, YSR Cheyutha, YSR Pension Kanuka, Jagananna Goru Muddha, YSR Law Nestham, YSR Rythu Bharosa, YSR Nethanna Nestham, YSR Matsakara Bharosa, YSR Vahana Mitra, Jagananna Vidya Deevena, Jagananna Vasati Deevena, Housing for poor, Zero interest loans, Nadu Nedu in schools and hospitals, YSR Kanti Velugu, YSR Sampoorna Poshna, Jagannna Vidya Kanuka, widening the scope, coverage of YSR Aarogyasri.

Welfare schemes, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and transparent governance reflected in all the subsequent polls, from local body elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls.

According to YSRCP, the milestones achieved by the historic padyatra remained etched in public memory. Jagan Mohan Reddy had achieved 500 km milestone at Gotturu in Dharmavaram, Anantapur on December 16, 2017 and 1000 km Saidapuram at Venkatagiri, Nellore on January 29, 2018.

The Praja Sankalpa Yatra completed 1500 km Mulukuduru in Ponnuru, Guntur on March 14, 2018 and 2000 km Venkatapuram in Eluru, West Godavari on May 14, 2018. The 2,500 km milestone was reached at Pasalapudi in Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari on July 8, 2018 while 3,000 km milestone was reached at Desapatrunipalem in Vizianagaram on September 24, 2018.

It was at RaviValasa in Tekkali, Srikakulam on December 22, 2018 that the YSRCP leader completed 3,500 km. The padyatra concluded at Ichapuram, Srikakulam on January 9, 2019 after covering a total distance of 3,648 km.

Jagan Mohan Reddy steered YSRCP to a landslide in the 2019 elections winning 151 of the 175 Assembly and 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats.

The ‘group politics’ in YSRCP in Kurnool have become a big headache to party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

The ‘internal rifts’ between sitting MLA Abdul Hafeez Khan and former MLA S.V.Mohan Reddy have now come out in the open.

Both the groups are levelling serious allegations and counter allegations against each other leaving YSRCP cadre in doldrums.

Both the groups are also engaged in ‘social media war’ against each other.

Each group is terming the other corrupt and looting people causing damage to YSRCP in Kurnool. This naturally is being exploited by opposition TDP to its advantage, which is making all-out efforts to re-establish its hold on Kurnool Assembly constituency.

It all started with S.V.Mohan Reddy group restoring to social media campaign against MLA Hafeez Khan terming his corrupt and demanding money for every work from people and as well as YSRCP leaders and cadre in Kurnool.

They also posted an internal survey which states that Hafeez Khan has support of just 42% voters in Kurnool while SV Mohan Reddy has majority voters support of 58%. They are publicising that YSRCP will win Kurnool seat in 2024 Assembly polls only if party dumps Hafeez Khan and gives ticket to SV Mohan Reddy.

Hafeez Khan group on the other hand is accusing Reddy leaders of defaming Muslim leader to end his political career. They are trying to give ‘religion colour’ to counter SV Mohan Reddy group.

The Kurnool TDP leader T.G.Bhagat, who gave a tough fight to Hafeez Khan in 2019 polls is taking advantage of group politics in YSRCP and reaching out to people aggressively with an eye on 2024 Assembly polls.

Jagan on the other hand is struggling over how to bring peace between two rival groups in his own party in Kurnool.

Post-Badvel, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy appears to have come to the conclusion that it is time to take on the BjP too in AP. That the BjP could get up to 20000 votes was a surprise for the YSRCP. Even assuming that the TDP has indirectly and partly helped the BJP, it was clear that the TDP did not plunge itself headlong into the campaign. Had TDP gone the whole hog, the victory margin would have been much less.

The Badvel result has in fact opened up the eyes of the YSRCP. A Jana Sena-BJP-TDP combine could be a formidable and could give the YSRCP a run for its money. Realising this, Machiavellian YS Jagan has decided to rake up the issue of special status.

Immediately after the Badvel election, Jagan held a review meeting in Tadepalli on the upcoming Southern Zonal Council meet, which will be attended by all CMs of the South Indian states. Jagan wants to use this forum to talk about the special status to AP. He will also raise the question of total implementation of the provisions of the bifurcation act. The idea seems to be to put the BJP on the back-foot on issues like Polavaram, special status, three capitals and others. At the same time, he seems to have plans to put the TDP on the dock for supporting the BJP. This means, either the TDP has to openly say that special status was not needed or it will have to distance itself from the BJP.

Jagan is planning to raise these issues in the Southern Council meeting. He knows from the recent bypoll results that the BJP’s sheen is dimming and it will have to depend more on its allies. So, Jagan feels that this is the time to squeeze the BJP.