The by-elections for 18 Assembly and four Parliament segments in Andhra Pradesh (AP), slated for May 29, appear to be more crucial for chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy than anyone else.
After the Left parties distanced themselves from the Congress during the present by-elections, the Congress has had to go it alone. However, the more disturbing news for Reddy was that the CPI(M) was aligning with his rival, Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister and leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Although the CPI(M) state secretary, BV Raghavulu, claimed that this should be viewed as a test case as the party was working towards developing a Third Front, Congress leaders involved in the election process consider the alliance between TDP and CPI(M) as a straight loss of about 10% to 12% of votes.
Reacting to the CPI(M)?s decision, the TDP politburo met at Piduguralla (since Chandrababu Naidu was on a 150-day campaign tour) in Guntur district and decided not to field its candidates for Musheerabad and Cheryala Assembly segments, where the CPI(M) plans to contest. Speaking to the media after the politburo meeting, Naidu said the alliance with CPI(M) would help the party avoid a split of votes in a Congress, TRS and TDP triangular contest. Interestingly, only TDP was able to finalise seat adjustments with the CPI(M).
The bye-elections were necessitated due to resignations by 16 MLAs and four MPs belongs to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in protest against the failure of Congress to accord separate statehood to Telangana, as promised before the 2004 elections. Blaming the Congress for its delaying tactics in extending separate statehood, TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao has urged the people of Telangana to once again show the strength of there vote. But chief minister Reddy said, ??We never said that there is no sentiment among the Telangana people in favour of a separate state. Hence, it is foolish on the part of TRS to prove it again.?? He rejected the view that the polls would be a referendum for a separate Telangana.
The Congress party is planning to focus its campaign on the development agenda, while countering the referendum claims of TRS. Out of 18 MLA and four MP seats, 17 MLA and four MP seats are from the Telangana region, while the Terlam seat is from north-coastal Andhra region. Political observers in the state say even though the Congress and, to some extent, the TDP have decided not to raise the Telangana statehood issue, these bye-elections will be considered a referendum by the people and the political parties. These elections would also decide the fate of Rajasekhara Reddy for his second term as chief minister, say the analysts.