Telugu Desam Party is totally upbeat with back-to-back victories in Graduates’ MLC elections and now, MLA-quota MLC elections. TDP had established that from voters to own MLAs, no one really trusts Jagan.
After losing four MLAs to YSR Congress, TDP does not have the strength to contest in the MLA-quota MLC elections but Chandrababu fielded a candidate at the last minute.
TDP still should not have hope about winning because it is not easy for MLAs to ditch the government which is known for its vendetta politics. Moreover, the elections are more than one year to go.
But Chandrababu pulled off a blinder. Besides the rebels, just one vote is enough for TDP candidate Anuradha to win but she got two votes.
YSR Congress organized camps and deployed intelligence to keep an eye on the MLAs and their relatives to prevent any sort of approach. The Chief Minister himself spoke to the MLAs who are unhappy but Chandrababu sneaked through the entire ecosystem and got their votes.
Chandrababu since the start of his political career is known to be a master strategist but then, after becoming CM in 2014, he is faltering in formulating the right strategies. In the pursuit of bigger issues like Amaravati and Polavaram, he ignored the party and that resulted in many wrong strategies.
That ensured a sensational victory for YSR Congress in the 2019 elections. But the Master Strategist in Chandrababu made comeback at the right time. This has been reflected in the Graduates’ MLC elections too.
Right from candidate selection, voter registration, polling, and to counting, everything was planned so meticulously and the party managed to win all three seats. The candidate change for Uttarandhra at the last minute is an indication of Chandrababu’s political acumen.
Winning one MLC seat in Uttarandhra (the Capital Region) and Rayalaseema (YSRCP’s strongest area) is a major shocker in Andhra Pradesh politics.
Registering two back-to-back victories withstanding the Ruling Party’s aggression and anarchy is not anything simple. Chandrababu just tamed the bull taking it by its horns. TDP camp is gushing with energy while the YSR Congress camp is in neck-deep disappointment.
This will set the mood that is needed for TDP in the 2024 elections.
