Andhra Pradesh former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party men have come to the Assembly with black scarfs as a sign of protest.
Jagan Mohan Reddy is writing letters to Governor with a wish to bring in President's Rule. But what he is feeling should be felt by the people in general and at least the leaders of his own party.
Engaging in such dramatic moves may help Jagan Mohan Reddy consolidate or retain his core 40% vote bank. However, with only 40% of the vote, he cannot regain power. He needs to focus on winning back the confidence of the 7 to 10% swing voters.
To gain the confidence of these swing voters, he needs to reinvent and rebrand himself. To achieve this, he must first remove the ineffective individuals who surround him.
It's important to note that Mithun Reddy is in charge of the Lok Sabha from YCP, Vijay Sai Reddy oversees the Rajya Sabha wing, Y V Subba Reddy manages the party's parliamentary wing, Jagan Mohan Reddy himself handles the Assembly, and Lela Appi Reddy is responsible for the Council.
However, apart from Jagan Mohan Reddy, none of these leaders have significant traction within the Reddy community. They have not benefitted the Reddies, nor are they seen as icons by their own community.
Additionally, the party office still sees only Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy and Dhanunjaya Reddy, who also lack positive influence but carries a lot of negative image.
For the party to change its image and connect with other leaders, it needs more capable leadership. It's surprising and shocking that Jagan Mohan Reddy does not recognize this fundamental issue.
He often talks about supporting SC and BC communities but continues to field only Reddy candidates in key positions. How can BC and SC leaders relate to him?
Keeping the caste aspect aside, at least there should be able leaders fielded in places.
The party's ecosystem is fragmented, and there is no emotional connection between the genuinely capable leaders and the party.
When will Jagan realize this is the biggest question?
Usha Chowdhary
