For the first time in his four-decades' old political career, Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu is facing an existential crisis of sorts in his own bastion Kuppam assembly constituency.
After the party’s ignominious defeat in all the local body elections – gram panchayat, mandal parishad, zilla parishad and municipality – in Kuppam, Naidu is now feeling the heat of the YSR Congress party and a big question mark is staring at him in the next assembly elections.
Reason: YSRC president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has roped in a young leader Krishna Raghava Jayendra Bharat into the field in Kuppam assembly constituency to take on Naidu in the next elections.
Bharat, son of former IAS officer K Chandramouli, who unsuccessfully contested against Naidu in Kuppam, has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the party to victory in the next assembly elections.
Bharat, who accidentally entered politics after his father fell seriously ill due to cancer before 2019 elections, has since then been nurturing Kuppam constituency. He has his share of contribution in YSRCP’s big win in Kuppam in panchayat polls.
As part of the strategy, Jagan has not only nominated Bharat as an MLC, but also made him party in-charge of Chittoor district, that would give him tremendous powers to steer the party.
Bharat played a major role in implementing the social engineering formula in Kuppam in the local body elections and was able to attract all sections of people. He managed to establish a powerful alternative to Naidu in Kuppam.
Naidu has been winning the Kuppam seat consecutively since 1989 but in 2019 elections, his majority dropped from 47,000 votes to 30,000 votes – a fall of 17,000 votes.
“By next elections, it would be a negative vote for Naidu and positive for the YSRC. We are confident of winning the seat at least by lesser margin,” a YSRC leader said.
Bharat has already been touring the constituency extensively and attending to the people’s problems. Thanks to the support being extended by the local minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, he could establish a strong network in Kuppam from polling booth level; so that he can upset the applecart of Naidu.
Party sources say the people are keenly observing Bharat and his style of functioning. Definitely, he would make a mark of his own in the constituency and can defeat Naidu in the next elections, they say.
The village volunteer system launched by Jagan has brought a lot of change in the people’s perception towards the party. Now, they are able to get the benefits of the welfare schemes.