c pradeep kumar
As the general elections in Andhra Pradesh draw closer, opposition parties seem to be struggling to gain momentum in their campaigning efforts. The main opposition parties, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP), are banking on a potential alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming 2024 elections.
Sources suggest that the BJP will decide on alliance in Andhra Pradesh by March 5. However, the ground-level presence of TDP and JSP leaders in election campaigning remains scarce. Internal conflicts and factionalism within TDP and JSP further hinder their electoral prospects.
In contrast, the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) appears to be miles ahead in terms of campaign readiness. YSRCP leaders and coordinators have been actively engaging with constituents in their respective areas daily. Notably, the ruling party has been steadily announcing its list of candidates for both Assembly and Lok Sabha since December 2023, with party members actively gearing up for the elections ever since.
While the TDP-JSP alliance recently unveiled its list of candidates, there seems to be a lack of visible campaigning by these candidates. Instead, party leaders are preoccupied with addressing grievances among ticket aspirants who were excluded from the initial candidate list. Internal dissent within the alliance ranks has become a significant concern for party leadership.
The recent withdrawal of Saripella Rajesh, a Jana Sena candidate, from the P Gannavaram assembly constituency race due to demands from party supporters highlights the challenges faced by the opposition alliance. Furthermore, the absence of Nara Lokesh, a prominent TDP figure, from key alliance meetings has sparked speculation and discussion among party members.
In contrast, YSRCP leaders have been actively hitting the campaign trail across the state, with notable figures such as Devineni Avinash, Velampalli Srinivas, and Shaik Asif engaging voters in their respective constituencies in Vijayawada. The party’s grassroots outreach efforts, under the guidance of President and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, have been ongoing for the past two years through the Gadapa Gadapa program, ensuring continuous interaction with voters at the doorstep.
