Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu wound up his two-day campaign for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporations(GHMC) defending his right to campaign in Hyderabad. Though Niadu’s roadshows attracted huge crowds, his campaign theme was confined to two points- taking excessive pride in his past achievements and the past development, and how he was entitled to campaign in Hyderabad even though it is the capital of a neighboring state. Criticism against ruling establishment was minimal and it was not directed against anybody. His campaign called upon people to vote for TDP-BJP, but forgot to ask the people to defeat the TRS. He did not target to anybody as “rival” which is essential in the political campaign. All references to TRS were indirect. He never uttered the word TRS and the references to chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was almost nil. It appears he was extremely conscious on not using the names of ruling party and the leader of the ruling, by this he avoided inevitable war of words. As decided by the TDP supremo stuck to the party’s decision, as we reported in these columns earlier, to the ‘positive campaign’- of party’s achievements. But, a single reference to Naidu by KCR appears to have haunted former and the AP CM took it to hear so much that he seldom ended his speech without emphasizing his political umbilical connection with Hyderabad ever since he entered the Assembly in 1978.
The was no talk of why the Hyderabad people should not vote for ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti. There was no reference to failures of TRS and the apprehensions, the pink party generated among the Seemandhra people and how Naidu reacted sharply against these policies in past, which included the social survey conducted by Telangana government. Naidu appears to have deeply affected by KCR’s remark that as a chief minister of neighboring state Naidu should have taken care of his state instead of roaming around in Hyderabad. ” His campaign is meaningless in Hyderabad,” KCR said.
See How obsessive Naidu was about his Hyderabadi Connection:
* Naidu said he had every right to campaign as his party was born in Hyderabad and the TDP government played a vital role in putting the city on the global map through its developmental activities.
* Naidu reminded that he had begun his political career from Hyderabad from 1978 when he first got elected to Assembly and played vital role in the development of the city, hence he had every right to campaign in the city.
* “I have been living in this city for more than 35 years. I was CM for 9 years and opposition leader for 10 years. Everyone knows who had developed Hyderabad. After doing so much today some people are saying that I do not have right to campaign in GHMC polls. They are afraid of me so they are trying to stop me.”
* On the charge that he was afraid of coming to Hyderabad following the ‘cash-for-vote’ scam- Naidu said that he was not afraid of anyone and would not be frightened by such allegations. “I have been subjected to such allegations in the past also. But, I came out clean. Hence, there is no question of fearing anyone,” he asserted.
* “Only TDP can develop Hyderabad. Citizens of the city should vote for TDP for the development of the city. TDP has developed Hyderabad in the past. It would do it again, if it is elected to power.”