POLITICS in Andhra Pradesh are reflecting a dangerous trend. The YSR Congress Party, TDP and Jana Sena are vying with each other in playing to the tunes of the central government headed by the communal BJP. There appears to be no difference between those parties in power in the state and those in opposition in this regard. The very bifurcation of the united AP was a painful experience for the people.  It is all the more painful to note that both the ruling as well as the opposition parties are ignoring the larger interests of the state during the last six years in pursuit of their narrow political ends.

At the time of bifurcation of the state in 2014, the centre announced that the re-organised AP would be accorded special status. The BJP declared that it would provide special status for ten years in case it gets elected to power. It is six years since the BJP is in power at the centre under Modi’s leadership but it refused to implement its promise on special status and thus betrayed the state of AP. Many assurances were given in the Re-Organisation Act that was enacted by the parliament then. They relate to providing funds for establishment of a new capital, development of backward regions in the state, and for construction of Polavaram Irrigation Project. Establishment of a steel plant at Kadapa, Oil Refinery at Kakinada, Major Port at Dugarajapatnam, Railway Zone at Visakhapatnam were some of the other assurances given. The centre went back on many of these promises while in a few cases, it made nominal allocation of grants and declared that its responsibility has been fulfilled.   

The TDP, and YSR Congress parties have remained mute all the while when the central government under the BJP was going back on the assurances of Re-Organisation Act, and other promises made earlier. Both the parties gave up insisting on these assurances and promises, while at the same time, sought the patronage of BJP. It was TDP that came to power immediately after re-organisation. It joined the central government while providing cabinet berths for BJP in the state. Thus, the TDP acted hand-in-glove with BJP, instead of working towards fulfilling the interests of the state. For four long years, the TDP stood by the BJP even though it was betraying the interests of the state and the TDP even sought to mislead the people on the role of BJP. On the eve of general elections, the TDP was afraid that it would have to face the wrath of the people and then it broke ties with BJP. But, again, after the 2019 elections, it made a somersault and started acting pro-BJP. Now it is extending all-out support to BJP on all issues.  Of late, it is even toeing the line of communal politics of BJP.

The YSRCP, which was in opposition then, never acted in a way that caused even slightest uneasiness to BJP, though it occasionally made token statements demanding special status to AP. It never questioned the betrayal of BJP. In the parliament, it supported the BJP on all important occasions. It is strange that the YSRCP never found it objectionable to support BJP which was a partner of TDP in the state government. The respect or fear of BJP led the YSRCP to support it despite it being a coalition partner of TDP in AP.  Janasena began as a political party in 2014.  Initially it sailed along with the TDP and the BJP. Subsequently it joined the Left parties declaring that it is doing so to achieve special status for AP. Post-2019 general elections, it has been championing the communal politics of BJP in the state, in fact, more actively than the BJP itself.

Neither the ruling party nor the opposition party has shown any inclination to extract funds from the centre towards the establishment of state capital and complete the project as soon as possible. Though the TDP was a partner of the ruling coalition at the centre, it could not get the funds sanctioned. On the other hand, it converted the state capital project at Amaravathi into a real estate venture. Instead of focussing on the requisite facilities for the state capital, it went on projecting imaginary, illusory plans without any significant progress.  The CPI(M) and the Left have suggested way back in 2014 itself that it would be proper to develop an administrative capital with all the facilities required in around four to five thousand acres of land.  Had that advice been heeded, the capital would have been built by now. It would have also prevented thousands of farmers and labourers from being dispossessed. There would have been no scope for any real estate scams. It would have left no scope for the YSRCP to project its theory of trifurcation of capital.

The YSRCP accepted Amaravathi as capital when it was proposed, reiterated the same before the people at the time of elections, but, changed tack after winning the power.  It took the controversial decision of decentralising the capital to different places. It is imperative that a newly formed state should establish an administrative centre accessible to all , as quickly as possible, in order to register speedy development.  However, the ruling YSRCP does not seem to acknowledge this fact. Thus, both the ruling as well as opposition parties are indulging in petty, opportunistic politics, without showing any concern for establishment of capital, even after six years. Both of them have ignored the fact that the central BJP government is sleeping over the issue of providing the requisite funds for establishing the capital, and are completely engrossed in their political rivalry.

Both the ruling YSRCP as well as the opposition TDP are indulging in hurling charges against the individuals, raising petty issues, but, at the same time, are vying with each other in aiding and abetting the communal misrule of the BJP. Both of them supported the anti-labour codes promulgated by the centre. The anti-farmer Acts that will lead to pauperisation of small and marginal farmers have been blindly supported by both parties. Both of them gladly embraced the proposals to hand over the public sector units at throw-away prices to private sector. Both gave their nod for privatisation of steel plants, defence sector units, banks, insurance, railways among others. Despite the fact that this would severely and adversely affect the self-reliance of our country, and deliver a death-blow to the reservations for weaker sections, both parties did not hesitate to support the moves.

The New Environment Assessment Policy which denies forest rights to tribals was accepted by both the YSRCP and TDP. They welcomed the New Education Policy which will deprive education to weaker sections. The New Electricity Act that is doing away with the cross-subsidy system beneficial to ordinary consumers, and doing away with the free power to 25-lakh farmers who undertake bore-well irrigation, has been supported by both of them. The YSRCP, not only refrained from opposing this new act, but went a step further by being the first state in the country to resort to fixing of smart meters to the bore-wells.  This only shows that it is willing to go to any extent to satisfy the BJP. 

The total failure of the central government in tackling Covid-19, the economic crisis that is having a devastating effect on the lives of common people, denial of GST dues to states, abrogation of Article 370, amendments to Citizenship Act that resulted in attack on minorities as well as secular values and such other anti-people steps taken by the central government are mutely accepted by both the YSRCP as well as the TDP. Both of them are turning a blind eye to the ever-increasing atrocities and attacks on dalits, women and minorities in BJP-ruled states, to the increasing attempts to stoke communal hatred and to the increasing attacks on the democratic rights in this country.

The YSRCP is not defending the interests of the state or people, even after assuming power. It is not making common cause with those states which are pulling up the centre for encroaching upon the rights of the states. It seems this government is under the illusion that whatever welfare measures that it has been implementing in the name of Nava Ratna are adequate for the situation. No doubt, such measures that provide relief to the people are necessary. But they do not help the people to stand on their own, with self-respect. Employees and workers need job security, minimum wages, regular payment of wages etc. It is necessary to extend the Employment Guarantee Act to the cities, to pay unemployment allowance, to ensure minimum wages to agricultural labour, to provide housing to the poor, to ensure health for all, to improve educational facilities, to provide finances to tenant farmers and protect them, to uphold the forest rights of tribals and other forest-dwellers, to refuse to implement the amendments to electricity act, to join hands with other states to uphold the federal structure of the country, and to prevent rise of communal forces. It is necessary to implement the relevant poll-promises.  But, the state government seems to have forgotten them.

The TDP, YSRCP and the Jana Sena in the state, repeatedly talk about the pride of Telugu people, their self-respect and declare that they always stand by what they promised. But, right now, all these parties are acting like puppets in the hands of BJP and they are not ashamed of it either.

This political scenario of the state is indeed, a cause for serious concern. Both the ruling and the opposition regional parties are turning a blind eye to the challenge posed by the BJP. They are not exposing and opposing the betrayal of BJP to the state of AP and thus, helping BJP in gaining ground here. BJP is dreaming of gaining strength in the state taking advantage of this opportunism of both these regional parties. The call of Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief, who recently visited the state to expand their organisation is to be taken note of. While the TDP, YSRCP and Jana Sena, which proclaim that they are secular parties, are unmindful of this communal danger, it is the Left parties which are resisting the harmful policies of BJP to the best of their abilities. They are agitating over the special status to the state. They are trying their best to rescue the Covid-19- affected people, and for relief to the people adversely affected by the economic crisis.

The state is, so far, relatively less affected by the evils of communal BJP. If the present scenario continues further, the situation will not remain the same anymore. The attempts by the BJP to stoke communal passions and to instigate communal violence taking advantage of the incident of burning of the temple chariot by some miscreants at Antharvedi, strike a warning bell. We cannot expect that those parties which are toeing the BJP line will put up a resistance to communal forces and protect the interests of the state and the people.  It has fallen upon the shoulders of the Left, progressive, democratic and secular sections and individuals, besides the mass organisations and social organisations to unite to protect the interests of the state and people from the impending onslaught.