TDP to face Andhra polls without Naidu?

[Anta Assamey]

The rank and file of the Telugu Desam Party are said to be terribly worried over the fate of their party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been languishing in jail for over 40 days in connection with the skill development scam.

Going by the developments in various courts, the party leaders and cadre are not in a position to guess when he would come out. They are also worried about his physical and mental status in jail at this age.

According to a senior TDP leader, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s strategy appears to be tormenting Naidu psychologically and physically in jail as long as possible, so that even if he manages to come out of the jail, he would not be in a position to lead the party from the front in the next elections.

“Unlike Jagan, who immediately plunged into action soon after returning from jail in 2013, Naidu may not be able to do so. Jagan was just around 40 years then; so, he had all the energies and robust health on his side, whereas Naidu is 73 years old and has physically and mentally weak,” the TDP leader said.

Secondly, Jagan had all the facilities in jail during his 16-month bail period, including a badminton court and a gym to keep himself physically fit. But the TDP president doesn’t have any such facilities now, except separate room with minimum facilities. His lawyers had to fight in the court for an air-conditioner to prevent him from suffering skin diseases, he pointed out.

If the same situation continues for some more time, Naidu would not be able to concentrate on the party. Already, there is a talk that he is facing a lot of mental stress. 

“Even he comes out on bail, he needs to take a lot of rest before entering the action. Still, the Jagan government may not allow him to tour the state with his agitation programmes, at least till the elections,” the TDP leader said.

So, the party is getting prepared for an alternative leadership model to sustain the momentum in the cadres.

While Naidu’s wife Bhuvaneshwari has decided to go into the people with a series of programmes, Lokesh, too, has decided to continue his father’s programme “Bhavishyathu ku guarantee” from the first week of November.

Yet, the party will be missing Naidu, who has the capacity to turn around the fortunes of the party. 

“We have to see how the TDP fights the electoral battle without the big boss,” the party leader said.