Before the last assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, the then ruling YSR Congress party headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had paid a lot of attention on Kuppam assembly constituency represented by Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu.
The YSRCP bagged more than 90 percent of gram panchayats, mandal parishads and municipality wards in Kuppam assembly constituency. Jagan even granted a revenue division status and took up various developmental projects.
Just before the elections, Jagan inaugurated the much-awaited Kuppam branch canal providing irrigation to thousands of acres.
He made YSRCP legislative council member K J Y Bharat, son of former IAS officer K Chandramouli, as the party in-charge of Kuppam and entrusted the responsibility of the constituency to his senior cabinet colleague Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy.
So, Jagan was extremely confident that the YSRCP would conquer Kuppam in the elections so that it would be the end of road for Naidu in state politics.
In fact, Jagan’s government created many hurdles to Naidu whenever he went to Kuppam. The municipality did not even give permission to Naidu’s residence at Kuppam.
Yet, Naidu emerged victorious from Kuppam again in the last elections; an in fact, with better victory margin. And his party won a massive mandate across the state, relegating the YSRCP to just 11 seats and Naidu became the chief minister again.
Now, it is not the TDP, but the YSRCP itself is getting vanished in Kuppam, according to reports from the constituency. Bharat, who is supposed to look after the party activities in Kuppam, has stopped coming there and is said be settled in Hyderabad.
Reports said Bharat also wound up the YSRCP office in Kuppam and leased out the party office building to a restaurant. This made the party workers upset, as there is nobody to guide them on what to do and what not to do in the next five years.
A couple of days ago, there were posters in Kuppam, stating that YSRCP MLC and party in-charge for the constituency Bharat is missing. Apparently, the posters were pasted by disgruntled YSRCP leader in the constituency.
Maybe, the party will get a constituency-level in-charge for Kuppam once Jagan completes the exercise of restructuring the party organisation in the coming days.