YCP aims to hit both TDP and Amaravati in one shot

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is perhaps the first CM in history to have taken keen interest in the panchayat elections. Usually, political parties take a lesser role in the village politics considering the complex local factors and the danger of provoking group dynamics there. But, the question is being asked as to why Mr. Jagan Reddy has taken such a huge risk to the extent of using extreme use of force, money, police and official machinery. His party Ministers and MLAs are also under great stress to win 90 percent seats but now they claim to have won 80 to 85 percent seats.

Analysts say that there are two immediate objectives for the Chief Minister in his current crusade in the panchayat elections. He apparently wants to hit two birds at one shot. They are the Telugu Desam Party on the one hand and the Amaravati Capital on the other. As it is, the ruling YCP has been harassing the TDP leaders with police cases and arrests but still there is rising opposition to the Jagan Reddy leadership. By winning 90 percent sarpanch posts, the YCP wants to crush the roots of the TDP at the micro level. As of now, most TDP workers are even hesitating to come out and protest fearing disrespect and cases from the police.

Undoubtedly, the Amaravati Capital shifting has become a big challenge to the Chief Minister. He was very much confident initially. Mr. Jagan Reddy thought of bulldozing his way in shifting the Capital to Vizag but inordinate delay was caused in this following the cases in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. The CM has been finding his own ways of playing around the court cases in order to push his plans forward without bothering about even the contempt proceedings.

Critics say that the Chief Minister is planning to go ahead with Capital shifting by saying that the people have given their mandate for the same in the panchayat elections. Whether this will be possible amid the continuing court cases right now is a big question.