KSR Column: Chandrababu’s Deeksha Ploy Ends Up A Dud

By Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

Chandrababu likes melodrama. Big claims, bombast and self-praise are an essential part of this over-dramatisation. In fact, it was NTR's style statement. He was theatrical and reveled in sortorial flamboyance. He wore saffron and donned Vivekananda's robes. He was now in youthful flannels and shirts with folded sleeves and in the next outing, he was in spotless Dhoti and a matching Angavastram.

Though Chandrababu didn't follow NTR dress-wise, he too knows how to dramatise things. Also, he wants people to believe what he says. Otherwise, why would he organise Nava Nirmana Deeksha in Vijayawada's busiest nodal point, the Benz Cricle? These big bashes could well have been organised in Municipal Grounds! But, holding a meet on June 2, the day when Telangana was carved out and calling the day a black day is something that only Chandrababu can do.

Almost at the same time, Telangana TDP leaders met at the NTR Trust Bhavan in Hyderabad and celebrated the formation of Telangana. Here was Chandrababu lamenting about the division.

Perhaps he wants to exploit the popular sentiment perpetually. One one hand, he says AP is well on its way to become a Number One state in the country, but calls division a treachery played on AP on the other. He also claimed that the AP bifurcation bill was passed despite TDP MPs trying to stall it.

But the fact is, there was a verbal duel between Venugopal Reddy, the TDP MP from Andhra and Nama Nageswara Rao, an MP from Telangana. Both have even complained against one another. But, a leader of Chandrababu's stature tries to obfuscate truth. Is this right thing to do? There is no disputing the fact that AP needs to be developed. He is also claiming that he believes that the Centre will implement everything contained in the Act. If he has belief, where is the need for these deekshas. Who is he fighting against? He didn't contradict BJP boss Amit Shah's claims that the Centre gave 1,75,000 lakh crore to AP. Then why Nava Nirman Deeksha?

It is because of the flip-flop of Chandrababu, who breathes politics and believes in publicity, that the response to this year's Deeksha was way too below par.

Hundreds of chairs at the Deeksha site remained unoccupied. Yet, he claims that the meet was a stupendous success and trumpets that over 6.5 lakh have joined the Deeksha across the state. Who is he trying to mislead?

The BJP-TDP government is at the helm of affairs at the Centre and the TDP-BJP Government is ruling the roost in the State. Both the Congress and the BJP had played a key role in cleaving AP and Chandrababu repeatedly wrote letters seeking vivisection. He backed bifurcation repeatedly during his Pada Yatra in Telangana. On Telangana, he wanted to have the cake and eat it too. He has managed to succeed partially and wants to continue the same game even now.

The Deeksha flop show in Vijayawada is proof enough that the people are not taken in by this wornout tactic. About those who attended the meet, the less said the better. It was like sitting on a frying fan kept on a fire place - a real living hell due to the blazing hot mid-day sun.