Is YSR Congress Party Loosing Hold in Party Cadres in AP?

In a review of political parties conducted by INN across Andhra Pradesh, it seems many political parties loosing its hold on primary cadres. The review picture of YSR Congress Party seems to be a very confusing, as no body in the party is able to reveal any strategies or no one is ready to comment on any issue despite they hold the key positions.

It is two years today since Jagan came out of Congress and launched his own party. Dark clouds are enveloping the party that was launched as a challenge to Congress, amid big fan fare. Political circles are now discussing that the party’s failures in these two years were more than the victories. 

Jagan who came into the people as YSR’s son was at the helm for some days. He started a new chapter in politics with his ‘Odarpu Yatras’ to console the families of those who lost their lives after YSR’s death. Meanwhile, CBI arrested him in the disproportionate assets case and sent him to jail. This has generated sympathy for him and his party. Vijayamma and Sharmila who were till then confined to the household, came out and campaigned for the party. They got good response too. While 17 Congress MLAs resigned in favour of Jagan, 15 of them got reelected in the by-elections. The party also bagged one MP seat. 

Now it is being said that the lower rung of the party cadres were slowly losing confidence on the party though Jagan is said to be planning the strategies from the four walls of his prison cell. YSR Congress leaders are claiming that they would sweep the elections. But it is being said that it was strategically wrong not to have contested the cooperative elections. Though party leaders have been displaying confidence in public speeches and media discussions, no one has a clear understanding of the internal party matters, say sources. 

Apart from the guidelines Jagan was giving from the jail, none in the party was thinking of definite strategies the party has to adopt. It is a general feeling in political circles that the organization was not strengthened. Recently the party had appointed some coordinators and it has brought unnecessary rifts in the party. Observers say that this move would surely lead to a collapse of the party. Though the party has been steadily attracting leaders of other parties, the leadership is worried that those with the party since long are preparing to go out. 

In a similar situation the party launched by Gali Janardana Reddy’s follower Sriramulu launched, defying the BJP, also fell flat in the local body elections. Meanwhile, the Kiran government in AP is preparing for local body elections. This is causing worry to the YSRC leaders. If the party fails like Sriramulu’s party in Karnataka, it would have serious effect on the general elections of 2014. Political analysts say that it was difficult to say if the YSRC made any forward march during the last two years.