No former CM in Andhra to lead Cong's charge

By A Saye Sekhar Hyderabad: As the combined state of Andhra Pradesh goes to polls for one last time in its current geo-political form, all three chief ministers in the erstwhile assembly (2009-14) are conspicuous by their absence in the electoral race. It is also unusual that none of the former chief ministers in the last 58 years of existence of Andhra Pradesh is in the poll fray this time. As temperatures soared, literally and politically, the Congress, which ruled the state for two terms, finds itself in a piquant situation in the absence of warhorses it had in 1989 or 2004, the two occasions when it trounced the mighty TDP, and in 2009 when TDP was prevented from staging a comeback.[caption id=“attachment_1497573” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Reddy. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who steered the party to victory in 2004 and 2009, died in a helicopter crash in September, 2009, creating a political vacuum and pushing the Congress into a state of disarray. He was succeeded by his finance minister K Rosaiah who demitted office after serving as the 15th chief minister of the state between 3 September 2009 and 24 November 2010. While he was cooling his hooves enjoying his political superannuation with occasional press conferences at the Congress Legislature Party office, his services were “suitably recognized” and he was rewarded with the gubernatorial responsibility of Tamil Nadu on 31 August 2011. Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, who emerged as the dark horse in the intra-Congress race, became the chief minister and held on to his position of authority putting up a meek fight against his own party for the decision to bifurcate the state. Though he raised a banner of revolt against the Congress high command, he went completely wrong with regard to the timing. His Jai Samaikyaandhra Party, which secured footwear as its election symbol, is seen as a lame duck, for Reddy himself sprang surprise by opting out of the contest and fielding his brother from Pileru assembly constituency which he groomed assiduously. Though he tried to justify his decision on the ground that needs to campaign for his party candidates across the state, it is just seen as a fig leaf to cover his folly. For now, his career apparently hit a roadblock. Probably, he too needs to read Sun Tzu’s Art of War, a book that always fascinated and read umpteen by Telugu Desam supreme N Chandrababu Naidu. Thus, the Congress has none of the troika, which led its flock in the erstwhile assembly until recently, available to lead the contingent in the about-to-be bifurcated state from the front. The cabinet berth secured after waging an unrelenting war with the Congress high command remained a short-lived pleasure for Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, who, after weighing multiple options and knocking at several doors, has been forced to retire into political oblivion. He, too, is not contesting the elections. The first female home minister in a state, Sabitha Indra Reddy, who hogged the limelight during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure, has fallen from grace after landing in controversies following legal wrangles. Though she was successful in securing a Congress ticket for her son, her exit from the electoral politics is not seen as any sacrifice. Industrial tycoon Lagadapati Rajagopal, whose latest claim to fame or notoriety is pepper spray, walloped himself out of the electoral politics. Rajahmundry’s two-time MP Vundavilli Aruna Kumar followed Rajagopal close on his heels to announce an electoral retirement. P Shanker Rao, whose petition seeking CBI probe into YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s assets case had raised many an eyebrow, whirred the sycophantic gristmill so much that he built a temple for Congress president Sonia Gandhi for ‘granting’ separate Telangana. But he found himself in an awkward situation when the Congress slammed the door on his face and denied him the party ticket. Legislators DL Ravindra Reddy and G Veerasiva Reddy, bitterest critics of YSR on his home turf, Kadapa, too had to eat the proverbial humble pie with nobody choosing to field them in the elections. Former ministers D Manikya Vara Prasad, Vatti Vasantha Kumar, and many other MLAs like Anam Vivekananda Reddy, too were forced to call it a day. When industrialists, businessmen, movie artistes and entrepreneurs running educational institutions and retired bureaucrats are all testing the political waters, dozens of practicing politicians are finding the ground shaky under their feet.