The only party which has not set up its office yet at Vijayawada is YSR Congress, led by Leader of Opposition,YS Jaganmohan Reddy. He is still operating from Lotus Pond, Hyderabad. Party sources are unsure of plans of the leadership to relocate the office to Vijayawada. There has been no murmur in the party about setting up of their office at Vijayawada, which has been made temporary capital of Andhra Pradesh by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. Forget shifting of the office to Vijayawada or Guntur, even his visits to Vijayawada are few and far between. The last time he visited the city was in mid 2015- first in August when he led a dharna of farmers protesting the invocation of land acquisition act against the farmers who doesn’t want to offer their land to the Amaravati capital construction. Before that he arrived at Vijayawada airport en route to Guntur to stage indefinite fast demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh.
On the other side, CPI shifted the office to Vijayawada long back followed by CPM. Even the BJP also set up its office in Vijayawada. Later, the Congress has made district Congress office, Andhra Ratna Bhavan, as it temporary headquarter. Now, TDP is moving to Guntur district office for the time being. The party is constructing state head quarters at Mangalagiri. Still, Jagan has no plans to move to Vijayawada?’
Vijayawada is an alien land for Jagan, unlike Hyderabad. Every Telugu man feels at home at Hyderabad, having seen and accepted Hyderabad as their own capital since 1956. Between 1956 and now, half of Andhra population, especially those from Rayalaseema, might not have find an occasion to visit Vijayawada. For many, except the name, nothing about Vijayawada is familiar. And for people like Jaganmohan Reddy, it is highly difficult to set foot on the land where he is politically weak and culturally unfamiliar and financially without roots. Jagan has to go there purchase some land and set up office like a corporate company. But, Jagan is not a corporate CEO, to shut himself off from the public and confine to the four walls of boardroom. But, like any other ordinary Andhra, Jagan might not have visited the place great many times to claim familiarity. Even for his army of aides Vijayawada topography is not only unfamiliar, will also be hostile. And above, the decision to shift the capital to Vijayawada is arrived at not by an expert committee appointed by the centre; it is taken by his arch rival and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. No doubt, the thought that he has to honor the decision of his rival will send cold shiver through his spine. Hence the delay in shifting the YSRCP officer to Vijayawada.
Jagan’s predicament is the predicament of all Rayalaseema Reddys in power since Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1956. They are scared of electoral strength of Rice Lands of Andhra Pradesh. All chief ministers from Rayalaseema ignored their own region and pampered these region by promoting pro-rice economy. I distinctly remember a comment by the then planning commission that Andhra Pradesh should be discouraged from pursuing pro-rice economy. Though political power was wield by Rayalaseema Reddys, their power flowed from the canals of coastal districts. Now, Jagan is also scared of talking his mind about making Vijayawada as the second temporary capital. He is wary of backlash from the rice lands if he says he was for functioning from Hyderabad for full ten years as per the convenience offered by AP Reorganization Act,2014. He can’t say it in public.
Jagan’s Strategy
So, Jaganmohan Reddy appears to have transformed himself into an intrepid traveler to overcome the capital predicament. He stays few days in Hyderabad per month. He finds himself on unending yatras in one district or the other, and ensures that he is always seen surrounded by people. Though this strategy has its own advantages, would this suffice to counter the criticism that he is opposed to Amaravati capital and the reason for not shifting his office to Vijayawada like other political parties?
