Former top cop’s surprise entry adds new twist to Andhra polls

A breathless media coverage of the CBI probe into the high-profile cases against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy during 2011-12 had made V V Lakshminarayana, a 1990 batch IPS officer, a household name in Andhra Pradesh. Leading the investigation into the illegal assets case, Lakshminarayana, who was then the joint director of CBI, had earned the image of a tough supercop determined to expose a powerful politician.

When JD, as the officer is popularly known, sought voluntary retirement in March last year, there was intense speculation that he would launch a political party. Instead, the Maharashtra cadre officer actively involved himself with rural NGOs engaged in farmers’ issues and occasionally addressed college students and became popular for his motivational speeches.

Surprise entry

The ex-cop sprang a surprise by joining the Jana Sena Party headed by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan. The entry of JD, who has a clean and idealist image, has changed the dynamics of Andhra Pradesh’s election scene.

Given that he has a considerable fan following among the youth, who admire his idealism and commitment to social service, his election rallies could hurt Jagan’s YSR Congress Party which is presently seen as being ahead in the poll race.

It is also possible that JD can chip away a chunk of the anti-TDP youth vote that would have otherwise accrued to Jagan. He is likely to contest the Assembly election from Visakhapatnam district. There is intense curiosity among the political observers about what could be the focus of his election speeches. His very presence during the electioneering will revive the memories of an embarrassing trial that Jagan and his associates had faced in the disproportionate assets case in which the CBI had filed ten chargesheets.

Ploy to help TDP

The YSRCP leaders argue that JD’s entry is a ploy by the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to split the opposition votes in order to facilitate a second term for Chandrababu Naidu. The ex-cop could influence the Kapu community voters in the East Godavari and West Godavari districts in the coastal region, which hold the key to the poll outcome. There is a buzz that the Jana Sena Party could take away a chunk of the anti-TDP youth vote that would have otherwise accrued to Jagan.

On the other hand, there is also a question whether he will turn out to be an asset for the Jana Sena Party or will he go the way of another celebrated former IAS officer, Dr Jayaprakash Narayan whose Loksatta party failed to make any impact on electoral politics of the state.

Till recently, the media buzz was that JD was being wooed by the TDP and offered ticket for Bheemli constituency in Visakhapatnam district. With his decision to embrace Pawan instead, the YSRCP has gone on an overdrive accusing Chandrababu Naidu with scripting the former police officer’s political moves. The conspiracy theory being suggested is that Jana Sena Party is a plot to divide the anti-TDP vote, in order to benefit the TDP.

The YSRCP has been building a narrative that a vote for Jana Sena Party is an indirect vote for the TDP.

Traditionally, the Rayalaseema region has been a bastion of Congress in the combined Andhra Pradesh. Following bifurcation, the YSRCP has occupied the traditional Congress support base. Many of the constituencies in coastal Andhra, particularly those in and around the capital region, may tilt towards the TDP. Given Pawan’s campaign focus on north coastal Andhra and the Kapu-dominated Godavari belt, this region may well be the decider.

High-profile cases

Lakshminarayana, who did his M.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, is known for leading the investigations into several high-profile cases including Satyam scandal, Obulapuram mining scam involving Bellary Brothers. He took voluntary retirement as Additional Director General of Police, Mumbai.

Jagan’s case

The crux of the charges against Jagan, who was then an MP from Kadapa, was that he had misused the position of his father and Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy during 2004-09 to attract investments into his business ventures in return for doling out favours such as land allotments, irrigation contracts and mining leases. The CBI had disclosed that he took Rs 1,172 crore from various investors as bribe and in turn helped them get favours from the state government.

However, Jagan has denied the quid pro quo charges and described the case as witch-hunting and a vindictive exercise because he had quit the Congress in 2011 and floated his own party to carry forward the ideals of his charismatic father.

Jagan was arrested and sent to Chanchalguda central jail in Hyderabad on May 27, 2012. After 16 months in jail, he was granted bail on September 23, 2013.file ex-cop’s entry hots up Andhra poll scene