Did the YSRCP and the YS Jagan Government err in arresting Devineni Uma Maheshwara Rao? Did they inadvertently help boosting his sagging political career? Have they by arresting him, given a booster dose to his politics? This is now being hotly debated in the ruling YSRCP.

Devineni Uma was almost isolated in the TDP after his defeat in the 2019 elections. While he was in power, he ran the TDP affairs with an iron hand in Krishna urban district. He has thus isolated several leaders and made many enemies within the party. Soon after his defeat in the elections, several party leaders began ignoring him. His stock began falling and he felt quite isolated within the party. Even when he issued press notes, the other party leaders did not respond or support his call. They royally sidelined him. Leaders like Kesineni Nani, Bonda Uma and others stopped consulting Uma on party affairs.

But all that changed with his arrest. Uma has been daring the YSRCP to arrest him for the past two years. However, the YSRCP did not arrest him. But when it finally arrested him, it was a petty case. It was clear as crystal that this smacked of vendetta. This has raised sympathy for Devineni Uma. There was a groundswell of support for him in Mylavaram assembly constituency and the manner of arrest forced the other TDP leaders too to oppose this. Despite their antipathy to Devineni Uma, these leaders began speaking in his support. Today, Devineni Uma has acquired a hero’s status in Krishna politics.

Even Vasantha Krishna Prasad, who defeated Devineni Uma in 2019 elections in Mylavaram, is reportedly not happy with the kind of attention, focus and publicity that Uma is getting post his arrest. The YSRCP did not expect this kind of response. Now there is a debate as to whether the YSRCP has actually helped Devineni Uma by making a hero out of him.