Why the travails of TDP do not help constructive politics in Telugu Nadu?

N. Chandra Babu Naidu (Former CM of AP.)

Telugu Desam Party the principle opposition party in Andhra Pradesh has turned thirty this year. Over the last three decades the TDP has contributed immensely to the state and national polity. Led the charismatic NTR it stormed to power thrice, besides directly influencing the formation of alternative political fronts at the national level. Under the stewardship of Chandrababu Naidu who deposed his father-in-law and the patriarch of the party, the TDP ruled for nine long years, besides twice propping up governments in centre. Chandrababu used to speak of leading the state for twenty more years, until the public of the Telugu Nadu cruelly showed him the door in 2004. Almost seven long summers years have passed since TDP was voted out of power. The party has weathered quite a few crises over the last seven years. Desertion of its leaders, cadres, the duplicity over its Telangana stance, failure of the Mahakutami experiment in 2009, near revolt by the second rung leadership and so on. Since the mid-nineties the party’s performance while leading Government is mixed at its best while its show as the principle opposition has often been shoddy. If writings (or rumors) on a couple of websites are to believed, Chandrababu Naidu  has almost reconciled to the fact that he might never make it to the top post once again.

It is unfortunate that a political formation which began as a viable political alternative to the hegemony of the Congress (I) seems to be running out of the stream. NTR promised that his party will be everything that the Congress (I) was not. TDP briefly lived up to its promise. It worked towards a meaningful federalism. NTR in line with his Marxists friends [the CPI and the CPI (M)] strengthened the secular political networks which effectively checkmated the communal forces. NTR upheld welfare mechanisms and a plethora of his schemes like subsidized rice, prohibition of manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor, though dubbed populist in some quarters, made the life of the common man easy. NTR, despite his stinginess, was by popular consensus a non-corrupt politician. He was the man who brought in the idea of Telugu Nadu which enabled Andhra Pradesh remain a unified state till date.

Since the demise of NTR the path of the TDP veered. New leader brought in a new vision. However, the new ideas seem to have eaten into the vitals of the party, as the TDP discarded its leftist friends (only to befriend them again after a decade) for the communal parties like the BJP. It discarded the welfare economics for the neo-liberal economic policies which world over are viewed with skepticism. While NTR worked on and succeeded in strengthening federalism which decentralized power and empowered the State Governments, Chandrababu did nothing to note in decentralizing power further. He sat on the suggestions to strengthen the Local Governments. He wavered on the idea of Telangana and his “two eyes” policy seems insincere. Lastly Chandrababu Naidu does not have non-corrupt image.

It is not to discount the contribution of Chandrababu Naidu to the State and to the TDP. His contribution to the IT revolution and his role in the second generation economic reforms were celebrated. He was the poster boy of India Inc. However, farmers’ suicides, neglect of social sector particularly of education and health, insufficient investment in agriculture have damaged the prospects of the state. Over the last seven years his role as the opposition leader has been lacked luster and he seems to be running out of ideas very often.

This does not augur well for the state. The state requires strong and imaginative opposition. Instead of focusing on individuals (his favorite theme is the corruption of YSR and his son YS Jagan) he has to guide his party to focus on issues like agriculture, health, education, employment opportunities; brain storm and come up with innovative solutions. Today, there are allegations that he is resorting to match-fixing with the Congress (I) to contain YS. Jagan. These could be just rumors, but if they are to be true it does not augur well for Andhra Pradesh, for TDP and Chandrababu should be working towards gaining power. It does them no good to help the Congress (I) fight the thirty something scion of the YS family.

It would be very productive if Chandrababu Naidu focuses his energies towards the General Elections 2014, where he has a good chance of coming back to power. He could be the king again, but for that he needs to recreate himself and sell himself amongst the electorate. Constructive opposition is quintessential to a democracy and that is the means to get back to power. If TDP cannot make it in 2014, its political requiem can be sung. After all nobody remembers the bridesmaid or the best man after the wedding.

Editorial by: Joe Christopher