Today, Jagan Mohan Reddy invited his party leaders for a meeting. But like any other day, it was only Jagan Mohan Reddy who spoke from the dais, and all the invitees were just the audience.
Did Jagan say anything new?
He kept on talking about what he provided to the poor people in the name of schemes and how he pressed the button for 'Akka Chellammalu'. This rhetoric carries no value, as the defeat greeted him with an embarrassing 11 seats despite the schemes and all.
When Jagan knows that there are 86% of beneficiaries of his schemes but still lost the election, it was the same population that didn't vote for him and gave the unimaginable defeat. So, he should do something different. He should ponder more. He should take feedback from all corners with open mind. He might have asked the leaders who lost the recent election to speak out their perspective on the defeat.
Even in the last five years, Jagan conducted a few meetings with his MLAs but was never seen giving an opportunity to any of them to talk. Always, he used to speak from the dais, say high about his 'button pressing' to deliver the welfare schemes, used to say "Why not 175?" and then leave the place.
Even now, the leaders came to the meeting out of obligation and sat like dejected audience watching a flop movie by force. When they are not given any opportunity to talk, how can they feel their presence in the party?
It is time for Jagan Mohan Reddy to brainstorm with all his leaders. But there might be a fear among the leaders to open up and complain in any one-on-one meeting because Jagan is known for calling the ones who are being complained about in the presence of the complainant themselves. So, the leaders are tongue-tied to avoid any issues with anyone within the party.
Jagan Mohan Reddy must be imagining that the people didn't vote for him for the only reason that the poor people believed in TDP's 'super six' manifesto. If he keeps on believing only in that and is not ready to listen to anyone in the party, then only God can save him and his party.
But unfortunately, now God is on the side of his opponents, though he was with Jagan in 2019. What should Jagan do to bring God on his side? Only he should know!
Usha Chowdhary
