Poll battle begins before the bugle

Amaravati: Not just the day temperatures but political heat too has suddenly registered a steep rise. The run up to general elections 2019 is witnessing a new and disturbing phenomenon. All principles and ideologies seem to have been thrown to winds. While it is natural for ruling and opposition parties to try all tricks of the trade to win the elections, this time even political parties from neighbouring states are trying to needle in the affairs of Andhra Pradesh in the name of return gift.

They are not jumping into direct electoral fray but the strategy appears to be different. Support the rivals of ruling party indirectly and confuse the voters if you cannot convince them. The stage has also been set for liberal exhibition of money power by the main political parties in the state.

On the other hand, the state government is in a great hurry to complete laying of foundation stones, set into motion announced welfare schemes and sign MoUs before the notification is issued, the main opposition party YSRCP has cast its eye on all disgruntled elements, including MPs and MLAs in TDP and has thrown open its gates. Senior leaders have been entrusted with the job of poaching.

The state government has announced a plethora of welfare measures, including direct cash benefit for farmers and women SHG groups, for the urban people it has come up with the assurance of transforming the Greenfield capital coming up on the outskirts of Vijayawada into one of the top five liveable cities in the world.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said his government would leave no stone unturned to make the Greenfield capital one of the best global cities. On Thursday, he has laid foundation stone for Adani Group's Data Centre and Technology Park and also inaugurated the millennium towers where the MNC Conduent started its operations in the port city in Visakhapatnam and foundation stone for Bhogapuram airport.

However, the tenders for construction of the airport are yet to be finalised. The state government has also reportedly started media blitzkrieg amidst allegations that senior officials in the CMO were resorting to discrimination in selection of newspapers whether it be advertisements or supplements. It is also said that in certain cases CMs intervention had become necessary while in other cases despite clearance from the Chief Minister things were not moving on one pretext or the other.

While this is the confusing state of affairs on the administration side, on the political side, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao who had promised to give a return gift to his bete noire N Chandrababu Naidu was to go to Visakhapatnam to participate in the Maha Kumbhabhishekam as part of the anniversary celebrations of Sarada Peetham. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath was also scheduled to visit the peetham. But both of them cancelled their visit on the grounds that they have pressing engagements.

They were also to attend the house warming ceremony of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at Amaravati but even that function has been cancelled. Meanwhile, KCR sent former minister and MLA T Srinivas Yadav to Andhra Pradesh for the second time in a month with the task to try and influence the BCs by launching a political attack on Naidu.

A day after Chirala MLA A Krishnamohan quit TDP and joined YSRCP, TDP Lok Sabha member Avanthi Srinivas who till yesterday was in the forefront of the protests launched inside and outside Parliament quit the TDP and joined YSRCP claiming that he had differences with the party leadership for past two years.

But he did not explain why he waited for two years to decide to cross the fence just two weeks ahead of the poll notification. Avanthi’s exit from TDP will help the YSRCP in influencing the Kapu community in East Godavari the party leaders claim. At the same time, the internal differences in YSRCP in Kadapa district seems to be getting intensified and a good number of them are looking towards TDP.