Chandrababu And Operation Nandi

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

The Telugu Desam Party, when it first came into existence was based on certain values. In fact, people believed that legendary actor NT Rama Rao founded the political party keeping values such as providing corruption-free governance and upholding the dignity of the Telugu people in mind. Unfortunately, today it is a party which runs contrary to all founding principles. Today, the party represents cheating and false promises and is the first to blame others.

Former Chief Secretary of AP government IYR Krishna Rao has come up with an interesting analysis. He said Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was executing Operation Nandi. The prime aim of this mission is to blame somebody else when the government’s inabilities and corruption are highlighted. Yet another aspect of his governance is to use the media and intellectuals to cover up the government’s misdeeds, especially when someone shows him the mirror on his governance.

IYR added that the TDP leadership tends to sight a major conspiracy whenever it is under attack. Chandrababu could even go so far as to claim that it is an international conspiracy against his government in which the CIA is also involved.

After actor Sivaji spoke of Operation Garuda, IYR has come up with Operation Nandi. It is a widely known fact that Sivaji’s Operation Garuda was nothing but a flight of fancy. In fact, people believe that even the Sivaji episode is part of Chandrababu’s dramas because the AP CM has not fulfilled any promise made in the election manifesto. Today everyone is questioning the TDP on its election promises. And this is reason that it has washed its hands off the issue by removing the manifesto from the party website. Unfortunately, Leader of Opposition and a few other leaders have a copy of the TDP manifesto and they continue to question Chandrababu on it.

The environment in AP is such that anybody who questions the government is branded as anti-development. Yet another important aspect of Operation Nandi is to allege that the opposition is in alliance with BJP, while forgetting that TDP had won elections only as a BJP ally and the two have been together for the last four years. After breaking up with BJP, the state government got into a blame game for all its failures. Now, the AP CM calls upon the public to discard Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP!

It is true that we need to question Modi for not standing by what was promised. But it is surprising that Modi was being blamed for even Chandrababu’s failure. The TDP chief is to trying to blame others for all the failures of his government and is in the process, trying to cheat the people. This is part of the agenda of Operation Nandi. So, for Chandrababu it is his word that is final and nothing else matters.

Operation Nandi will term anyone who questions Chandrababu as anti-development person. If you ask him a question on his stay in illegal buildings, travel in private planes, spending hundreds of crores of personal needs, spend crores for buying opposition MLAs, his claim to have fulfilled all the promises made, etc, then you are sure to be characterised as anti-development. Even former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used to blame opposition when her government was in a crisis. Maybe Chandrababu has picked up a leaf from Congress since he started his political career from Congress party. He later encroached upon TDP and is now looking for partnership with Congress.

If only his Operation Nandi turns out to be successful, it would mark the end of democratic governance in the state. These are testing times for the people of AP. It was saddening to note that TDP which was formed as a party to safeguard the self-respect of Telugu people is now involved in bringing them into disrepute.