"Thank you for the GIFT" !

The following article has been written for Niti Central. Pasting it here for reference: 

With a straight face, the Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana told the Press this:

“We will make every effort to tell the electorate in Seemandhra that the special package to that State is because of the efforts of Congress leaders.”

Everyone was witness to Cabinet Ministers taking turns to deride their own Government on how their demands for a package to Seemandhra were being ignored. Everyone was witness to the spectacle of a Union Minister standing in the Rajya Sabha and whining how his own party did not at least listen to their demands. Everyone was witness to the hectic lobbying the BJP made in the Rajya Sabha for the package. Yet, Botsa had the gall to stand and claim credit for the package! This is just an example of the depths that the Congress in Andhra Pradesh can plunge into.

Last night, after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh addressed the Press. He announced that the Government has decided through an Ordinance that 7 mandals - which will fall under the submerged region of the Polavaram project, belonging to the Bhadrachalam division will be a part of the Andhra Pradesh, and not Telangana. Only the revenue village that houses the famous Ram temple will remain with Telangana region.

Another example of Congress chicanery this – the original Bill said all 7 mandals will fall in Andhra Pradesh. Following an uproar (including a protest by Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury), the Government announced that only a select few villages that will actually be submerged will be part of Andhra Peadesh. After passing the Bill in this form, now the Government says that except for the revenue village that houses the Ram temple, everything else will go to AP! The TRS chief has announced that he will go to court regarding this. Why can’t this Government do anything right at all? Why the continuous secrecy, chicanery and lies?

The people of Andhra Pradesh, for the 2nd consecutive time gave a whopping majority to the Congress party in 2009 (the 1st one being in 2004). The people sent 33 MPs from the state to the Congress party’s kitty so that Sonia Gandhi can form UPA-2. I read somewhere that when the Prime Minister meets YSR, he used to say something like this: “We are here because you are there”. That is the key role the people of Andhra Pradesh have played in Sonia Gandhi’s fortunes. Her blatant mishandling of the political situation after the untimely demise of YSR has shown how woefully ill-equipped she was to handle exigencies in this state. The unlimited freedom she gave to YSR was evident when the entire Congress party had no clue on how to handle the affairs of the state once he died! The way Andhra Pradesh has plunged into darkness gives credence to the testimony that the rise of YSR was more like a regional chieftain and not as a Congress leader alone.

The reward that the people of Andhra Pradesh got in 2014, for giving a massive mandate in 2009, is President’s Rule! In July 2013, she announced her final resolve to split Andhra Pradesh. The then Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy wanted to resign then itself. In his words, “I stayed on because Sonia Gandhi convinced me to stay.” He finally resigned in February, 2014 – a nice 8 months after wanting to resign, but staying because Sonia wanted! So – after enjoying power for nearly a full term, now, we are witness to this spectacle of President’s Rule in a State that gave the ruling coalition a mandate that no other State in this country has given. If this is not an example of the blatant mishandling of the mandate given to her, then what is?

The political realignment in the State still has no clarity. In all probability, TRS will not merge into Congress because the cadre is dead against it at this point of time. There will only be an electoral alliance in the upcoming election. The mood in TRS is upbeat, with many MLAs from TDP joining their camp now! Meanwhile, Kiran Kumar Reddy is in a quandary as to what to do next – he wants to start a party but this close to elections, he knows he has no chance of making an impact. Or perhaps, he will split the votes of Congress and later merge back into the Congress! Either way, his resignation has not created any dramatic impact as was widely believed will happen.

Not more than a handful of MLAs are sailing with him right now. The biggest support he has is from the 6 expelled MPs. While the TDP is gaining supporters from the Congress in the Seemandhra region, the YSRCP continues to be a strong contender for power. It is yet to be confirmed if the BJP will ally with TDP or not.  Meanwhile in Telangana, Sonia Gandhi is being showcased as goddess and Mother of Telangana. An overdose of posters have replaced the disastrous Rahul Gandhi “Not this, that” ads also! Sycophants of the party are thanking her for “gifting” the State; for giving “consent to 60 years of dreams”; for “granting” Telangana and what not!