It has been a month since Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu took over as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, following his party's victory, in alliance with the Jana Sena Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, over the YSR Congress Party with a substantial majority.
During this past month, there have been reports of sporadic attacks by TDP leaders and cadre on their political opponents at the village level. Initially, these incidents could have been dismissed as retaliatory actions by TDP workers who had allegedly faced similar attacks from YSRCP cadre over the past five years.
However, such attacks have not ceased even after several weeks. In some villages in Palnadu, TDP leaders are still allegedly driving away YSR Congress Party sympathizers and damaging their properties.
There have been reports of TDP cadres vandalizing statues of the late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy in several locations and destroying properties belonging to YSR Congress Party leaders, taking the law into their own hands.
Worse still, there have been allegations of TDP workers displaying high-handed behavior.
The attack on the Deccan Chronicle office in Visakhapatnam by TDP cadres, in protest against a news article related to the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, clearly demonstrates their high-handed attitude.
Additionally, there are reports of TDP leaders and workers resorting to illegal methods to make quick money.
The local police, who had allegedly supported YSRCP leaders in looting public resources earlier, are now said to be turning a blind eye to the malpractices of the TDP leaders.
One might excuse Naidu and the top TDP leaders for being preoccupied with the state's development and not fully aware of these activities at the grassroots level.
However, it is crucial for Naidu, his son Lokesh, and other senior leaders to monitor the party leaders and cadre closely. They should rein in the unruly cadre to prevent damage to the party's image.
“It’s time Naidu takes corrective measures. The party leaders and cadre should not take the law into their hands and let the police do their duty. Otherwise, it will not take long for people to realize that there is no difference between the YSRCP and the TDP,” an analyst added.