The Padayatra of Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy Was no-trust epicentre

The YSRCP president Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy started his padayatra on Feb 13 of this year in Nellore.He stated that  his party MPs will resign from Parliament on April 6 if the Centre does not grant special category status (SCS) by then.With a mere 5 Lok Sabha MPs (of the 8 who got elected on the YSR Congress ticket, 3 are with TDP) and a lone Rajya Sabha member, Jagan’s threat was not expected to have major political ramifications at the national level. Few days later, Jagan said his party would move a no-confidence motion against NDA government on the issue.

In reality, both these threats shook the political scenario in Andhra Pradesh and the tremors were felt in Delhi. YSR Congress’ decision to seize the SCS issue caught the TDP napping. And within days, TDP chief and AP CM Chandrababu Naidu realized his opponent had stolen the march over him, and was forced to take up championing the special category status issue lest the electorate dumps him in the next elections. 

ast week, Naidu withdrew two ministers from the Narendra Modi government and on Friday, he announced the end of the TDP-BJP alliance. Friday also saw the TDP and YSR Congress try to outdo each other on the issue of tabling the no-confidence motion. Smug in the knowledge that he has outwitted his opponent, Jagan tweeted on Friday: “Even if guided by political compulsion, TDP had to yet again follow YSRCP’s lead of moving a no confidence motion against the Central Govt for not granting SCS to AP. Win for democracy & people of AP. YSRCP will continue to fight for SCS, the rights of the people of AP.”

With both Naidu and Jagan playing the game of oneupmanship as they realized SCS is an emotive issue for the people of AP and votes lie in championing this cause, it is likely the TDP will prevent YSR Congress from tabling the no-trust motion and vice versa. The budget session of Parliament is scheduled to end on April 6 and while other Opposition parties like CPI (M), SP, Trinamool Congress and BSP might try to bring about a rapprochement between Naidu and Jagan and ensure that a single no-confidence motion is tabled, there are other parties like TRS which would force adjournment of the house without any business being transacted, as it happened on Friday.

“Therefore, both on grounds of one-upmanship between Naidu and Jagan and other parties playing spoilsport, the no-trust motion is highly unlikely to come up in this session of Parliament,” conceded a TDP leader.

But the real drama for AP will intensify after that, what with Jagan slated to get his six MPs to quit Parliament on April 6. Once again, Naidu will be forced to follow suit. But in the end, it is the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls that will eventually show whether it is Naidu or Jagan who were able to win over the people of AP by championing the SCS issue.