After successfully sending Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu behind the bars in the skill development corporation scam, and making all the arrangements to see that his son Nara Lokesh goes to jail in one case or the other, YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appears to be supremely confident of returning to power again.
Though the TDP leaders are trying to put up a brave front, their confidence levels are at a very low level, which was evident from the way Naidu’s wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari and daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani are trying to seek public sympathy and running from one temple to another praying gods.
If Naidu and Lokesh remain in jail for at least three months, the sympathy factor will fizzle out and they would not be in a position – physically and psychologically to rejuvenate the party to face the elections.
All the plans of the TDP leadership to select the party candidates well in advance and make them go into the fields with campaign have now gone topsy turvy. The party will definitely become rudderless if the present situation continues for some more months.
This is the confidence of Jagan that he can come back to power in the state for a second term.
While the TDP is in a state of confusion and in total defence, he wants the YSRC leaders to step up their activity and intensify their public outreach programme.
“If we can do it effectively for the next six months, it is not difficult for us to reach our ambitious goal of winning all 175 seats in the forthcoming elections,” Jagan told the party MLAs, MLCs and other leaders during the interactive session on Tuesday.
He called on every party member to work diligently, with enthusiasm and confidence, stressing that the next six months would determine the future of Andhra Pradesh.
But analysts say it is easier said than done for Jagan to win 175 seats.
“He might be talking about Target 175 only to boost the morale of the party leaders, but he also knows it is not so easy,” an analyst said.
According to the analyst, if Jagan really thinks his party can completely decimate the TDP and win all the seats, it is definitely overconfidence on his part.
“You cannot underestimate Naidu. He has the capacity to lead the party by sitting in the jail. It is a different matter that the TDP will come to power or not, but you cannot completely write off the party just like that,” the analyst said.
Jagan urged party members to work collaboratively, resolve any internal conflicts at the grassroots level, and focus on their collective mission for the next six months.
“That is the crucial issue. The party MLAs are facing severe anti-incumbency in their respective constituencies. They need to work hard to win the confidence of the people,” the analyst added.
