The outcome of the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh is definitely a big shock for YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
From 151 assembly seats in 2019 to 11 seats in 2024, it was a steep fall of his prestige and reputation.
Speaking to reporters after the elections, Jagan wondered what had happened to the votes of 53 lakh mothers who had received Rs 15,000 per year each under Amma Vodi scheme, 1.05 crore self-help group women who received financial assistance under Cheyutha scheme, 66 lakh old age people who were given enhanced pension at their doorsteps.
“Many others – farmers, lawyers, auto drivers, students, SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities, who had got financial assistance from the government, also did not vote for us. Why haven’t they voted for our party?” he asked.
Apparently, Jagan thought all these people are indebted to him and would definitely vote for his party in the elections.
But what he forgot was that the people are thankless and have no gratitude. If the one party gives Rs 100, they get attracted to some other party which offers Rs 110.
Jagan has implemented his welfare agenda in the name of “Nava Ratnalu” and ensured that the money credited directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of various schemes through DBT mode.
But he failed to realise that welfare schemes alone would not fetch him victory again.
In a bid to build up his vote bank among the weaker sections and poor people, he neglected the development of the state.
He failed to provide basic infrastructure facilities to the people, take up industrial development in a big way and generate employment leading to disenchantment among the people over the last five years.
Besides, the rising prices of essential commodities, steep increase in power tariff and even huge enhancement in the cost of cheap liquor led to disgruntlement among the poor, though they were getting benefits out of welfare schemes.
“Even the tax on garbage has left the people fuming,” an analyst said.
Similarly, Jagan turned a blind eye to the mounting corruption by the ruling party leaders at the grassroots level by looting natural resources like sand, land and minerals, besides large scale encroachment of lands etc.
Jagan also completely neglected important projects like Polavaram, while he diverted all the borrowings to Navaratnalu.
In the name of creating three capital cities for the state, he completely abandoned Amaravati capital city, leading to unrest among the locals and legal wrangles.
The chief minister also incurred the wrath of the state government employees on the wrong shoulder by not paying them salaries regularly, ignoring their demand for old pension scheme and implementation of pay revision commission recommendations on their wage revisions.
As a result, the employees and teachers showed their discontent by voting against the YSRCP through postal ballots.
The decision of the Jagan government to bring in the Land Titling Act weeks before the announcement of elections was like a last nail in the YSRCP coffin.
It led to an apprehension among the farmers that the government would take away their lands, if they had no clear title.
The apprehensions were exploited by the Telugu Desam Party which promised to do away with the act if voted to power.
Venkat Arikatla
