(kC Kalkura)
It is a sad commentary that in an elitist City like Hyderabad the percentage of polling for Dec. 1, 2020, Civic Elections was just 46.55. The ruling Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) was almost complacent and confident. The top leaders of the BJP made a beeline to the electoral sanctum. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM – translation: All India Council for Unity of Muslims), had spared no efforts to retain its stronghold. Congress had thrown in its weight. In spite of the vote bank politics played by one and all, none of them were able to enthuse the electorate for better polling percentage.
Putting its heart and soul, perhaps the BJP considered the Hyderabad Civic Elections a national prestige. BJP plunged into the electoral battle with the victory of its candidate, M Raghunandan, in the by-election held on Nov.3, 2020, at Dubbaka in Siddipet District.
Led by its national President J.P.Nadda, BJP’s role in vote-bank politics was evident in Hyderabad. Nowhere else had the National Leadership of any political party evinced so much interest in the elections to the Local Bodies.
Apart from its Hindu card, a linguistic appeal was apparent. As a rule, the cities are Cosmopolitan; multilingual, and multicultural. There are a sizable number of Kannadigas and Marathi population in the city, a legacy of the Nizam’s Hyderabad.
Marathwada and Hyderabad Karnataka were part of Hyderabad state till 1956. Apart from them, Gujaratis form a considerable chunk of voters. Tejaswi Surya, a Kannadiga, camped in Hyderabad for a few days. Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis were assigned the task to attract the Marathi voters. Amit Shaw, though for a day, too plunged into the electioneering to appease the Gujaratis.
Though disappointing for the ruling TRS, which came down from 99 to 55, the results were on the expected lines; more joyous for the BJP.
By all means, its promotion from 4 to 48 is creditable. Leadership deserves commendation. Earlier AIMIM won 44 seats from the 60 it contested. Now they had contested 51 seats and retained the number.
AIMIM with less vote share could retain its strength, though it contested even fewer seats than in the previous. Neither the BJP nor the TRS was able to make a dent into its vote bank. BJP lost Ghansi Bazaar to AIMIM and gained Jambagh from it. However, BJP pierced through the strongholds of the TRS and the Congress. In fact, there was only a mock fight between TRS and AIMIM. Congress was, deservedly, decimated.
Successors to the grand-old-party of Swami Ramanandha Teeertha, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Digambar Rao Bindu, K. V. Ranga Reddy, Madapathi Hanumantha Rao, P.V.Narasimha Rao, Jalagam Vengal Rao, and Dr.Chenna Reddy refuse to learn lessons from History. Leaders of the Hyderabad Liberation Movement like Swamy Ramananda Teertha, Kaloji Narayana Rao, Kodati Narayana Rao, and others stayed away from politics after the Liberation. There is no loyalty to the party. The word ‘Discipline’ is removed from its dictionary. We need not be surprised that even if the two Congress Corporators jump to join the bandwagon of either BJP or TRS. Men in power are not worried, whether the new ally is holy or unholy. YSRCP honorably stayed back. Telugu Desam Party is wiped out.
Just as every Election, whether it is General Election or even a Panchayat Election, has a lesson. This election, however, has more than one lesson. The TRS supremo Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), after his resounding victory in the 2018 midterm poll, confined his Darbar to Pragathi Bhavan. Even the Nawab used to conduct an open Darbar after every Friday Afternoon-Prayers in the premises of the Royal Mosque.
While the Osmania General Hospital was inundated with the floodwaters of the Musi, KCR was busy with designing, planning, and laying the foundation for the New Secretariat Buildings.
During the monsoon, unprecedented rains brought untold miseries to the residents of Hyderabad. By all counts, the TRS leadership had not risen to the occasion.
Successive Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh had contributed their might in developing Telangana especially Hyderabad. Private and public Sectors were promoted and established in Hyderabad.
Tank Bund was dreamt and translated into action by N.T.Rama Rao. Conceived and planned by Dr. Chenna Reddy and Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy, Flyovers were constructed by Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad. The same is the case with High Tech City.
Many irrigation projects, either fully or partially beneficial to Telangana were constructed; Kadam, 1958; Nagarjuna Sagar, (1955-65); Srisailam, 1963-77; Sriram Sagar, 1977; Singur, 1989; Lower Maniar, 1985; Upper Maniar, 1985 and Komaram Bhim, 2011. Mid Manair 2017 and Medigadda 19.5, 2019 were more than half completed in 2014 when Telangana was formed.
The signing of an agreement by Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to implement the Rs. 17,000-crore, Pranahita- Chevella mega project at Delhi in the presence of the Central Minister and the Chief Ministers of both States opened a new chapter with regard to utilization of water in the Godavari basin.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2008. The scheme was jettisoned by the Telangana Govt and renamed Yellampalli reservoir across the Godavari river, presently called Pranahita Barrage Lift Irrigation Project. The second part is called Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme where water from the Godavari river after the confluence by the Pranahita tributary, is lifted from Medigadda barrage near Kaleshwaram temple town. half-hearted Mission Kakatiya (మన ఊరు మన చెరువు – “Our Village; Our Lake”), a partially successful program cannot be a trumpet to blow forever. December 2023 is just 36 months away.
The dictatorial attitude of India Gandhi and some of the miserable consequences she faced have not taught lessons for a KCR, a Jayalalithaa, a Mamata Banerjee, A Mayavati, a Lallu Prasad, a Chandrababu Naidu, a Jagan Mohan Reddy, and even Narendra Modi. With enormous powers, Nehru was a great democrat. He respected the Parliament and with patience ‘listened’ to the venerable opposition leaders, many of them his comrades in the National Movement.
A Neveen Patnaik and a Nitish Kumar are the present role models. Like KCR, Chandrababu unilaterally selected Amaravati as the Capital. Jagan vindictively wants to reverse and create three Capitals.
The States’ Reorganisation Commission, 1953 remarked: “Regarding the question of capitals it is essential that the country’s finances should not be strained.” So it recommended the Capitals where the infrastructure was available. It did not leave it to be meddled by the states.
While the farmers are up in arms protesting the three Agrarian Laws, Narendra Modi is busy constructing the New Parliament Buildings in Delhi. He alleges that the farmers from only Punjab, Haryana, and part of Uttar Pradesh are protesting and blocking the roads to Delhi. Does it mean that nearly one hundred crores of Farmers from the whole country should Ghero the Prime Minister?
In Democracy, protests are always symbolic. e.g. Bardoli, Champaran, Khilafat, Simon Go Back, Dandi March, and Quit India. Jallianwala Bagh, Hanging of Bhagat Singh, Azad and RajGuru and Azad Hind Fauz were also isolated incidents. But the repercussions and consequences were miserable for the British Empire.
Democracy is a Government by three dimensions: Discussion in the Society; Debate in the Legislature and the Decision of the Govt. Supposing the farmers are misled by the vested interests, an obligation is cast on the ruling dispensation to remove the misgivings. Like Prime Minister Nehru and Chief Ministers of the post-independent India, with characteristic magnanimity, the leaders shall plunge into the problem and pacify the crowds and the mobs.
Upbeat with the results of the Hyderabad Civic elections and Dubbaka by-elections, the BJP wants to launch an electoral assault in Nagarjuna Sagar, where a by-election is due to the Telangana Assembly. These elections may not have any bearing on national issues like the farmers’ agitation. Even if it had, BJP may argue that it was in its favor.
The Congress, when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister in her heyday, was equally, if not more arrogant. Still, the BJP is snobbish; not prepared to accept the ground realities.
YSRC Party in power in A.P. is afraid of the State Election Commissioner and postponing the elections to the Local Bodies.
Preparedness to face the electorate at any time and “unshakable faith in the power of the people is the essence of the Parliamentary Democracy.” The lessons of electoral politics have long-lasting and all-pervasive relevance. Remember the Telugu Proverb: Do not consider swelling as strength. (వాపు చూచి బలం అనుకొవద్దు).
(KC Kalkura is an advocate from Kurnool)