Congress Lost its Strings in Andhra Pradesh

The state of Andhra Pradesh is going through one of the severest political crisis in our generation. The statement made by the union home minister P. Chidambaram on December 8th night in front of his North Block office, shows how callous the administration is. As per the reports appeared in the print media, it is evident that the whole set up of Congress high command including top guns in the party and government as well, were misread the situation in the state.

The development has multiple dimensions. First thing is about KCR and TRS themselves. Yes. It is true that KCR, founder of TRS went in to hunger fast and on for more than one week, despite his fragile health. The first three days of the current phase of agitation confirmed the lack of people’s participation. This is the reality of TRS hold in Telangana region after the 2009 elections. KCR and TRS lost the confidence of the people. If we are to believe the inspector general Anuradha’s statement in front of cameras, the movement was out of control from the hands of TRS. And also the messages with all daringness, that were aired by top naxal and former naxal leaders shows how organisedly they took the control of the movement once KCR withdrawn his fast with in the first three days. The government, at that time, carefully released video pictures of KCR taking some juices in presence of administrative officials which helped those who are waiting for opportunity. Few people from each organization including Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (one can see the presence of Manda Krishna Madiga on KCR’s bedside on Wednesday night while the later is with drawing the huger fast) few activists of CPI(ML) and other shades of naxalit groups entered in to streets and campaigned against KCR’s betrayal. Neither the intelligence officials briefed the administration correctly about the nature of current phase of agitation nor did the political class read it right. Varavara Rao, known face of open ground naxal leaders publicly claimed in TV discussions over the last week that they have taken the control of the movement. He is on record while directing Vice Chancellor of Kakatiya University not to close down the campus as per the directives from state government. It is an open secret that before 2004 parliament elections, the naxalite groups, which are ideologically for smaller states, supported TRS mobilization plans. And now the same naxal groups using KCRs hunger fast to revive themselves in the state. The state government failed to read in to this emerging situation.

The second dimension is timing of this agitation. The carefully crafted personality based agitation took shape immediately after demise of YSR. KCR started giving representations to all constitutional heads of the state some time from the middle of October. He floated that idea itself in September. At that time, he might not have realized the fact that Congress in post YSR era in the state is going to split across the state. The Congress high command and state satraps are trying to grapple with the emerging problems immediately after YSR death. The whole concentration was devoted from Delhi to Hyderabad on single point agenda, i.e. coming to terms with YS Jagan’s revolt. At that time, they in fact neither the state administration, nor the PCC nor the AICC cared about to see what is brewing on the other side of the political spectrum. That coasted them dearly in the first week of December. This period gave sufficient time for KCR to maneuver with dissidence with in his party and tried to rally them behind. This desperate act itself is outcome of the efforts to re-establish his credibility and leadership of both, of Telangana movement as well as TRS. To some extent he succeeded in that effort and the whole party stood behind him while he enters in to hunger strike. The loyalists also initiated public activity to mobilize support to KCR’s hunger strike by organizing local level gatherings. This political and administrative inaction lies encouraged the developments to reach that far.

The third dimension of this development is misreading or over reading in to the developments and unable to visualize the consequences of the announcement. The announcement itself came in tragic situations. Though the parliament is in session, neither the opinion of members of parliament was elicited nor that of national parties. In its previous avatar, UPA-I, central government appointed Pranab Mukherjee committee for this purpose. As usual, the committee has not submitted its report so far, at least for public purpose. Yes. UPA-I’s common minimum program mentions formation of Telangana through consensus. No body knows what is the independent opinion of home ministry on this issue. At least, there was no cabinet decision to this effect. No plan of action prepared. The major drawback of this decision, which manifested in the spurt of resignations, is unable to factoring in the opinion of assembly as an institution. Forget about factoring in the opinion of parties representing the state of Andhra Pradesh. The all party meet called by chief minister Rosaiah is confined to the single point agenda of eliciting legislative parties’ opinions on Telangana issue. There was no action plan proposed by neither the government nor the idea of the government at all except informing the members that he (Rosaiah) needs to revert back to his high command with all the opinions. All expressed concern about the KCR’s life. Except Loksatta, CPI (M) and MIM, all other parties informed chief minister that if the government comes up with a proper resolution, they will support. The parliament also through the oral observations of the chair, expressed the will of the house to the extent that KCR should with draw his huger strike. If at all there are any mentions about Telangana, these references and agreements can’t be treated as consensus. The next step would have been calling the assembly which is in session and inform the all party meetings decisions and elicit their opinion.

Instead of that, Rosaiah flew to Delhi with a piece of paper and handed over it to congress high command. High command immediately called core meeting of government and that followed by late night announcement of Chidambaram’s famous lines, “the process of formation of Telangana begins.” BJP also played its deceitful role in this controversy. From the day one, they tried to aggravate the situation at the ground level aided by their parliamentary leader’s intervention in Delhi. BJP’s senior leader, Venkaiah Naidu’s single point agenda in the first week in December in parliament is raising the issue over and again in zero hour. Even after late night developments on Wednesday, December 9th, Venkaiah Naidu in Rajya Sabha and Advani in Lok Sabha categorically asked home minister by saying that the statement outside the house does not gives the parliament a right to scrutinize and forced him to make the same statement. Falling in the trap, Chidambaram reiterated the statement.

Thus from one step to another, Congress grossly failed to grasp the emerging situation. This failure in both political terms as well as administrative terms. All the big guns in the government and the party faulted in controlling the strings in Andhra Pradesh. There is also another version for these incidents such as pro YSR camp destined to prove Rosaiah as a failed successor etc. All these can’t be ruled out if we saw the emergence of several voices with in the congress camp. Refusing the inability of Congress to reach a conclusion on this issue, Abhishek Singhvi’s poser raises eye brows. Abhishek Singvi told media on Thursday, December 10th that if consensus is broken by any party, telangana could not fructify…looks like an attempt by the party finding an alibi for their future inaction or revocation of stand. “A state of Telangana cannot come about without two levels of consensus. One at the central level for Constitution amendment and another at state level for passing of a resolution… (In the assembly). They cannot come unless there is a consensus from all parties,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters. It is the possible link between Singhvi’s statement and spurt in resignations by MLAs and MPs of non Telangana region of the state.

Though the speaker, AP assembly told media that he won’t approve the resignations unless he interacts personally with each member who tendered resignations. Rosaiah says the MLAs are becoming sentimental. Now the central government and congress high command is trying to impress the agitated people by telling them that first they will work for consensus and then only the resolution. Going by these developments over the week end, it can’t be ruled out, keeping the congress nature in mind, high command’s direction behind the sudden spurt in resignations. That means, Congress is pitting MLA’s of one region against another region which will affect Congress badly over the period. Either the explanation goes, the congress not only in Andhra Pradesh, but also at the centre facing a sever test.