By JR Prasad
'Sathruvuku Sathruvu mithrudu (An enemy's enemy is a friend) so goes a popular adage in Telugu. This has once again proved in the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh. The Jagan factor has united the arch-rivals, Congress and the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party for now.
The undeclared 'alliance' between the Congress and the TDP is evident from the ongoing campaign for the ensuing bypolls in the state. Be it chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana or TDP chief N Chandrababu Niadu every top leader are leaving no stone unturned to attack the late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy's son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
During the poll canvassing, the Congress and the TDP leaders were vying with each other to heap choicest abuses on Jagan, who is now in jail in illegal assets case.
As there is a wide perception that Jagan's YSR Congress is creating a dent in the traditional vote bank of the Congress and TDP in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, both the parties upped their ante against the fledgling party of Jagan.
Apart from the chief minister and PCC chief, all other star campaigners of the Congress like Union minister D Purandeswari, AICC spokesperson Renuka Choudary and MP K Chiranjeevi were firing salvos at Jagan by referring to his alleged corrupt practices during his father's regime.
Even AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who toured poll-bound segments in the state took pot shots at Jagan.
He called upon the people not to vote for YSR Congress.
AICC emissary Vayalar Ravi and AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes also focused their verbal attack during the campaign only on the YSRC chief.
The chief minister went a step ahead and said that Jagan would be imprisoned for 14 years if the charges against him were proved in the illegal assets case.
Not to lag behind, N Chandrababu Naidu is also hurling choicest epithets like 'gajadonga' on Jagan.
Interestingly, the Congress and TDP, which are archrivals, are now finding little time to criticise one another.
As the 'Jagan factor' has occupied centre stage in the campaign, all other issues like spiraling prices, erratic power supply and non-implementation of various promises by the Kiran Kumar Reddy's government have taken a backseat.
Since shifting of loyalties by the MLAs from the Congress and TDP to YSR Congress has resulted in the present bypolls, a proposal was mooted by the Congress to bring a law to ban the turncoats from contesting bypolls.
As the 'Jagan factor' has occupied centre stage in the campaign, all other issues like spiraling prices, erratic power supply and non-implementation of various promises by the Kiran Kumar Reddy's government have taken a backseat.
As the 'Jagan factor' has occupied centre stage in the campaign, all other issues like spiraling prices, erratic power supply and non-implementation of various promises by the Kiran Kumar Reddy's government have taken a backseat.
Since shifting of loyalties by the MLAs from the Congress and TDP to YSR Congress has resulted in the present bypolls, a proposal was mooted by the Congress to bring a law to ban the turncoats from contesting bypolls.
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