The arrest of Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, in the skill development scam and his extended stay in Rajahmundry central jail for nearly 40 days has created a political vacuum in the state.
Currently, there are no programs or protests against the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government, and TDP leaders have adopted a defensive stance.
They are primarily focused on finding ways to secure Naidu's release from the case and get him out of jail, instead of fighting for public issues.
Even if TDP leaders plan any protest, the police swiftly arrest them and implicate them in various cases. The entire party is under severe repression from the Jagan government.
The other opposition parties have become virtually non-existent.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Daggubati Purandeshwari, has not organized any programs against the government, and even if it intends to, there is minimal response from the people.
In the case of the Jana Sena Party, led by actor Pawan Kalyan, the situation is no different. Although Pawan Kalyan addressed a rally or two in Krishna district in the last month, these meetings lacked seriousness.
During the party’s political affairs committee meeting held at Mangalagiri on Tuesday, Pawan Kalyan and Nadendla Manohar acknowledged the significant political vacuum in the state at present. They emphasized the need for Jana Sena to increase its activity to capitalize on the situation.
While Jana Sena has formed a coordination committee to collaborate with the TDP, Pawan Kalyan suggested that the party should continue its individual efforts to sustain momentum against the Jagan government.
Reportedly, he decided to restart his Varahi Yatra and will continue it for as long as possible. He asked Manohar to formulate the campaign strategy for the coming days.
Additionally, if Naidu is released from jail, there could be some momentum in the TDP, the party believes.