YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent comments on Amaravati to the national media have clearly exposed his party’s stance on the capital. His remarks suggested strong opposition towards Amaravati. This has once again brought the issue into sharp public focus.
It appeared that Jagan holds deep resentment towards Amaravati and does not want it to exist if he returns to power. After staying restrained for a long time, his comments reflected open hostility. This has placed the YSR Congress Party on the back foot politically.
Even before the 2019 elections, Jagan Mohan Reddy had criticised Amaravati. However, many people then believed he would not go to the extent of completely weakening the capital project. That assumption later proved costly for voters.
As a result, people from Amaravati and the districts of Guntur and Krishna voted overwhelmingly for YSR Congress in 2019. This time, there is little chance of such a mistake being repeated. Voters now clearly understand what to expect if YSR Congress gets another opportunity.
Jagan’s statement has only reinforced these fears among the public. Politically, it has indirectly benefited the TDP. Even though Amaravati farmers have grievances, they now see no option but to support the Cycle Party.
Realising the damage, YSR Congress appears to have sent Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy for damage control. He stated that the party never insulted Amaravati. He claimed they were only questioning alleged scams linked to Chandrababu in the name of the capital.
Sajjala said that YSRCP welcomes Amaravati wholeheartedly and only questioned the financial burden. He mentioned that placing the Chief Minister in Visakhapatnam would bring more development. He also questioned the heavy debt and interest related to Amaravati.
However, for YSR Congress, the damage control seems to have worsened the situation. There is no leader in the party who appears neutral towards Amaravati or the farmers who gave their land. Most leaders have made harsh statements against the capital.
Amaravati farmers do have genuine issues like delayed development and land pooling delays. YSR Congress could have supported them and cornered the government. Instead, Jagan chose to openly attack the region.
Amaravati is now a reality and its future is taking shape. The capital city is expected to receive Parliament approval sooner or later. Continuing to deny this reality may only hurt YSR Congress further.
From this point, the political path looks difficult for YSR Congress in the capital region. The districts of Krishna and Guntur may also move further away from the party in the coming days.
