The results of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be declared on the 4th of this month, creating great excitement. These results will determine the fate of Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Due to the changing political landscape, the election outcomes are being widely debated. Such a scenario is unprecedented; in the past, power transitions did not invoke fears of complete upheaval of parties' fate or politicians' futures.
However, the current political climate in the country and the state has drastically changed. Alarm bells are ringing that losing an election could mean losing political existence.
We can see an example of this in Telangana with the BRS. After the formation of Telangana, K. Chandrashekar Rao ruled unchallenged for ten years.
KCR even pulled Congress MLAs into his party. However, times have changed, and KCR has faced defeat. Political leaders accustomed to power do not hesitate to abandon their affiliations when it benefits them. Leaders who once supported KCR have now joined Revanth Reddy, criticizing KCR.
After the latest Loksabha election results, there is a chance that more will join the Congress. It would be a mistake to think they are joining Congress out of hatred for KCR or love for Revanth Reddy; it is a pursuit of power. If Congress loses power and the BJP comes in, these politicians will join the saffron brigade.
Given this context, the election results in Andhra Pradesh are causing widespread excitement. If the YCP retains power, it could spell the end for the Telugu Desam Party. Due to Chandrababu Naidu's advancing age and his successor Lokesh's lack of leadership qualities, the TDP's future looks bleak. There is already discussion within the TDP about merging with the BJP if they do not come to power.
If the TDP-BJP alliance wins, there will be significant threats to the YCP. If the YCP does not retain power, it is uncertain how many will remain loyal to Jagan. During Chandrababu's tenure, many YCP MLAs jumped into the TDP. So, loyalty in politics is just a myth.
There is no doubt that if they regain power, Chandrababu and Lokesh will use it to their full advantage, potentially harassing their opponents extensively. The question is whether YCP leaders can withstand this pressure. It is an illusion to think they won't face challenges.
Therefore, for both Jagan and Chandrababu, this election is very crucial. The winners will try to eliminate their opponents from political existence, while the losers will focus on preserving their party, leaders, and followers until the next election.
In any case, the situation has escalated to a point where leaders who have engaged in political harassment must now pay the price. No one can escape the repercussions of the increasing enmity in politics.