Why Jagan is baying for Chandrababu Naidu’s blood

In 2004, when YS Rajasekhar Reddy (YSR) became chief minister wresting power from TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu, renowned civil rights activist K Balagopal wrote in the Economic & Political Weekly: “… in the matter of the change of helmsmen, it has merely replaced a man who would find nothing too crooked if it is in his political interest with one who would find nothing too brutal.”

The summation is equally true of the regime change that occurred in 2019 as well, when YS Jaganmohan Reddy, son of YS Rajasekhar Reddy, snatched power from TDP supremo Naidu.

The arrival of Naidu and YSR on the scene transformed the way politics was practised in Andhra Pradesh. Incidentally, both Naidu and YSR entered the Congress and became ministers at the same time. But they fell apart after Naidu jumped to TDP, launched by his father-in-law NTR in 1983.

When Naidu became the chief minister in 1995 and YSR struggled to grow in the Congress to the level of challenging Naidu, their political opposition transformed into a personality clash. They both mobilised castes as their army. Their mutual antagonism led to bloodbath in Rayalaseema between 1995 and 2009.

What is now seen in the state is the same animosity between Jagan and Naidu.

Police swoop

On September 9, hundreds of policemen led by a DIG descended on Nandyal town around 3 am as if they were raiding the den of a dreaded terrorist — only to arrest ex-chief minister Naidu, who was relaxing in a function hall, in the Skill Development Corporation scam worth Rs 371 crore.

After an anti-corruption court in Vijayawada ordered him to a 14-day judicial remand, Naidu found himself in the Rajahmundry Central Jail. Both the chief minister and the Leader of the Opposition are tainted now.

C Nagendranath, a noted advocate from Kurnool, said it was Jagan’s reply to TDP, which, when in power between 2014 and 2019, used to insult Jagan, the Leader of Opposition, day in and day out by calling him ‘420’, ‘Jail bird’, ‘factionist’ and ‘criminal’.

“True, Jagan is facing a CBI trial in a disproportionate assets cases. He was in judicial custody for 16 months. TDP ministers used this as a tool to hit Jagan for five years. Now Jagan is determined to send Naidu to jail in retaliation,” Nagendranath said.

At the same time, Nagendranath decried the highhandedness of Jagan’s government. “When the CBI wanted to arrest Jagan’s cousin MP YS Avinash Reddy in his uncle’s murder case, the state police did not cooperate. The same police were mobilized in hundreds to arrest Naidu. There are examples galore of police shielding accused if they are from the YSR Congress,” he said.

Joy in YSR camp

Immediately after Naidu’s arrest, YSR Congress workers distributed sweets and burst crackers because Jagan achieved something that his father could not. TDP circles fear that Nara Lokesh, son of Chandrababu Naidu, the second in command of TDP, may also be arrested.

“Jagan wants to put both Naidu and son in jail to make the TDP headless and commit electoral fraud in the 2024 election without any resistance. The crooked plan is not possible as long as Naidu is around. So, they fabricated the case against him,” said Kalva Srinivasulu, a former minister and TDP leader.

Many attempts were made between 1999 and 2004, especially after YSR became chief of Andhra Congress, to send Naidu to jail on corruption charges. Reports were submitted to the governor on Naidu’s corruption.

In 1999, YSR filed a petition in the High Court seeking a probe into Naidu’s corruption but he later withdrew it. Again 2000, he filed a petition in the Supreme Court. It was dismissed. Later, his wife YS Vijayamma filed a petition in 2011 seeking a CBI probe into Naidu’s corruption. That petition, too, was dismissed.

The attempts were continued after Jagan took charge as chief minister. The YSR Congress alleged that Naidu was influencing the judiciary, either to get petitions quashed or the probe stayed.

The name of Justice NV Ramana, who retired as Chief of Justice of India, was often invoked as Naidu’s godfather. Jagan went to the extent of writing a letter against Justice Ramana to the then CJI before the former’s elevation to the position.

Caste war

Analysts were of the opinion that Jagan was emboldened to move against Naidu after the retirement of Justice Ramana and finally succeeded in sending Naidu to jail. YSRC sources openly claim several cases are ranged against Naidu to ensure that he won’t get bail in the near future.

Coming from two rival castes, Kamma (Naidu) and Reddy (YSR), which have been competing for power since Andhra was formed in 1953, the caste dimension has accentuated the personality clash between Naidu and YSR in the past and Jagan and Naidu now.

“The name of the party in Andhra is only a cover for personalities,” said Prof. E Venkateshu, who teaches political science at Hyderabad Central University.

According to Prof. Venkateshu, there is no difference between YSR Congress and TDP, as their goal is to perpetuate power by two individuals for their advantage.

“Competition for power between the two individuals who masquerade their personal interests as the state’s interests is today’s politics. Both are baying for the blood of the other to remain in power,” he said.

Congress view

In the view of senior Congress leader Dr Tulasi Reddy, who hails from Kadapa, Jagan’s home district, Jagan is behaving like a Rayalaseema factionist who tends to survive by destroying the enemy physically and economically in a brutal way that intimidates everybody.

“Chandrababu’s arrest by deploying hundreds of police in the dead of the night will have an intimidating effect not only on workers of opposition parties but also on the entire society. It will endanger the fair conduct of elections. The Congress doesn’t want to comment on the case but we oppose the suppression of rivals by using police force,” Dr Reddy said.

The question is, will Naidu’s arrest generate sympathy for the TDP to bounce back or will Jagan use the corruption charge to make Naidu unpopular and to emerge much stronger in the absence of a third political party?