Hasn’t Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao invited YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy to the Ayutha Maha Chandee Yagam being performed at KCR’s farmhouse at Erravelli in Jagadevpur mandal of Medak district?
When the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was specially invited for the grandiose event, wouldn’t have KCR extended an invite to the Leader of the Opposition Jagan?
At least, this question is lurking in the minds of the people. When the Speaker of AP Assembly, some ministers in the Chandrababu Naidu Cabinet, chairman of the AP Legislative Council were all invited, why has the Leader of the Opposition of the neighbouring State been ignored?
When media baron Ramoji Rao, heads of other media companies like Vemuri Radhakrishna of ABN-Andhra Jyothy, Tummala Narendra Chowdary of NTV-Bhakti channel were all invited, hasn’t the TRS brass taken care of inviting Jagan at least as the head of Sakshi Media group?
Saturday is the fourth day of the Yagam and there is no trace of Jagan going to Erravelli. Instead, he was seen in Christmas celebrations at his family farm in Idupulapaya in Kadapa district on December 24 and also 25.
This makes it clear that he is not going to attend the Chandee Yagam. But, why? This naturally raised the curiosity levels, for the Telugu Desam Party used to launch a diatribe against Jagan alleging that he was hand in glove with KCR.
The friendship between Jagan and KCR too blossomed over the years, if not overly, at least covertly. Jagan’s party and media has never gone against KCR too vehemently.
Sakshi has soft-pedalled and hasn’t ever taken head-on on KCR. Though the YSRC contested the Warangal Lok Sabha by-election, it amassed more discredit than popularity. Because, even if the people who thronged the meetings of Jagan had cast their votes for his party, the total number of votes the party secured would have been much more.
Well that is out of context, now.
Ask Mr V VIjaya Sai Reddy, one of those senior functionaries of the YSR Congress, whether Jagan was invited?
The answer is a yes. There was an invite. Whether the manner of the invite was akin to the one extended to Chandrababu Naidu or Ramoji Rao or AP Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao or has KCR called up and spoken to Jagan have “no relevance”. In fact, Sai Reddy says, those are all inferences drawn by the media and it wasn’t required to be seen in a magnifying glass.
Jagan had scheduled his participation in Christmas celebrations in Idupulapaya long ago and his constituency visit was also finalised at that time itself.
The YSRC may obfuscate the issue, but there was ample scope for Jagan to reschedule his tour and visit Erravelli, if the invite was “proper” and “as expected”.
But political equations are so much dynamic that no one can predict anything. Some times it is the math that works between two leaders and some other times, it is chemistry.
Ever since Chandrababu Naidu visited KCR at the latter’s official residence for inviting him for the foundation laying of Amaravati, the new found camaraderie between the two leaders blossomed. KCR readily obliged his AP counterpart and attended the function.
KCR reciprocated the gesture by going all the way to AP Chief Minister’s official residence on the banks of the Krishna near Vijayawada and invited him for the Chandee Yagam. Chandrababu played a perfect host, as he is known for ages, and treated his Telangana counterpart to a sumptuous and a delectable lunch. And, he would participate in the Yagam along with President of India Pranab Mukherjee on the Poornahuti day at the conclusion.
This mutual admiration between KCR and Chandrababu mellowed down, if not completely erased, the thorny cases of cash for vote and telephone tapping filed by Telangana and AP governments respectively.
There is no TRS in AP and even the TDP is losing its traces too in Telangana.
Against this backdrop, the hatred between Chandrababu and Jagan needs no introduction or an explanation. It has only amplified.
Naturally, when the powers come together, the scope for the opposition to stay closer to one of them diminishes. So the force of gush of the new-yet-age-old friendship between Naidu and KCR obviously flushed Jagan out of KCR’s scheme of things.
But Sai Reddy says how long and how strong this friendship will last is an intriguing thing.
For now, Jagan isn’t part of the guest list, though “there was an invite”, at the Ayutha Chandee Yagam.
