Catch-22 situation for Jagan

Visakhapatnam: YSR Congress Party president and Chief Minister-designate YS Jaganmohana Reddy is reportedly caught in a dilemma whether to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP or not.

Jagan, who met with the BJP national president Amit Shah, after a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi on Sunday, had said that he met Shah as the latter was the ‘second most powerful person’ after the Prime Minister, being the ruling party president. Shah was said to have invited Jagan into the NDA which put him in a quandary.

As Andhra Pradesh is facing a severe financial crisis with the coffers empty, the first thing Jagan did was to meet the Prime Minister and explain to him the awkward position and seek his financial support.

Modi said he would, but it would remain a stock reply since Jagan is not part of the NDA. The YSRCP has come to power with the promise of Special Category Status and implementation of bifurcation assurances along with its own Navaratnas–welfare measures and the first two promises cannot be fulfilled without the Centre’s help. There is every possibility that the Modi government would act positively if Jagan joins the NDA.

However, it has some risks involved. Muslims, Christians, SC, ST and Backward Classes voted in large numbers in favour of YSRCP in the present elections and any pact with the BJP may not be viewed kindly by them. Besides, the benevolent neighbour – the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was the first to come out in open support of Jagan in his endeavour of achieving SCS.

In Telangana, the BJP is emerging as a strong rival to KCR having won some seats in the Lok Sabha polls and has set eyes on winning the Assembly polls which is not at all acceptable to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti led by KCR.

However, some Andhra leaders point out that the interests of Andhra Pradesh are of paramount importance and since Jagan has SCS on top of the agenda, there is nothing wrong in his joining the NDA only to achieve it. And he could always come out of it if the going is not to his liking and BJP would also not be upset by such act since it has enough numbers to meet any situation. As for KCR, he should also not have any objection as long as Jagan maintains cordial relations with him and there are also no elections to fight in the near future, they opine.

It’s better for Jagan to have cordial relations with Modi, KCR: Undavalli

Rajahmundry: YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy secured a positive vote and never before did any other political party got 50 per cent of the votes polled like YSRCP, former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar has observed.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, he said watching Jagan address a media conference in Delhi reminded him of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and it was to the credit of Jagan to announce that he would provide a corruption-free governance. If Jagan follows the Kerala model, he would be successful in this and might continue in power for 30 years, he felt. He also expressed happiness that a judicial body would be set up on Polavaram works. There was need to go ahead with long-term plans on Polavaram project and it would be better to rope in the same consultants engaged by the late YSR in this, he suggested.

Arun Kumar also opined that it would be better for Jagan to have cordial relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Andhra Pradesh so far did not receive the Rs.23,000 crore worth properties mentioned in the bifurcation Act. VANPIC (Vadarevu and Nizampatnam Port Industrial Corridor) was YSR’s dream project which would resolve the unemployment problem in Prakasam and Nellore districts, he added.

“Many top TDP leaders were defeated in the elections. A government which comes to power with a positive vote has to shoulder more responsibility. We had asked the officials if they consulted the PPA on the issue of hiking Polavaram rates and we have not received any reply so far. Chandrababu Naidu ended up loser for publicising more than what he actually did. People did not believe his allegation that Jagan indulged in corruption of Rs.1 lakh crore. They gave Jagan a huge mandate though he did not attend the Assembly for one year,” he said.

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