Jagan in jail: Early elections to Assembly?

HYDERABAD: By starting to play captain's innings on the political arena, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has triggered a debate among Congress leaders on the possibility of early polls to the Assembly.

With Kiran Reddy increasing the pace of whirlwind tours across the state to publicise the welfare programmes of his government and announcing more populist schemes, some Congress leaders speculate that Kiran Reddy might opt for early polls.

They feel elections after the monsoon would be advantageous to the Congress.

'At present, there is a feel-good factor for the party in the state. Though the power crisis is creating difficulties, the slew of welfare schemes being announced by Kiran Reddy are offsetting it.

If we go for early polls after monsoon, even the power issue would have been resolved by then,' a senior Congress leader said.

According to some leaders, if the Assembly elections are held as per schedule in May 2014, it would be difficult for the ruling party as opposition parties like YSRC, TDP and TRS might gain further ground by then.

'Now, Jagan is still in prison. Without Jagan's campaign it would be difficult for YSRC to turn the tide in its favour. Similarly, the TDP too has not gained much even after Chandrababu Naidu's marathon padayatra.

The TRS is also not in the form. So, Kiran Reddy might be thinking that it would be good to face general elections soon,' a former minister felt.

Some leaders feel Kiran Reddy might be testing the waters for holding snap polls by interacting with people during his whirlwind tours.

Congress seniors wonder what has prompted Kiran Reddy to undertake extensive tours across the state suddenly, at a time when general elections are still one year away.

No use either way?

Meanwhile, some of Kiran Reddy's detractors in the Congress say the party's winning chances are bleak irrespective of polls taking place as per schedule or ahead.

'The writing on the wall is clear. Though a charismatic leader like YSR led the party and with all the populist schemes, we won the 2009 polls with a narrow margin.

Now we have no mass leader and Jagan factor and Telangana sentiment are posing grave threats in both the regions in the state. So, it is almost impossible for our party to hit a hat-trick in the next polls, whenever they take place,' said a veteran Congress leader.

Hence, he felt that Kiran Reddy might not take the risk of going for snap polls as it would only make him relinquish power even before his term ends.