Elections in Andhra Pradesh (AP) are two years away but the ruling YSR Congress party (YSRCP) and the opposition parties seem to be already fine-tuning their strategies and making necessary course corrections to prepare for the polls.
The mood in the YSRCP has been a mixture of euphoria and disappointment, notably after the appointment of regional coordinators and district presidents and a major overhaul of the Cabinet which caused heartburn for some who underwent a role reversal from being Ministers to MLAs. Those disgruntled leaders were sought to be mollified, lest they switched loyalties at a time when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP-Jana Sena Party (JSP) were working on a mission mode to dislodge the YSRCP.
With 151 MLAs in the 175-member Legislative Assembly and strong performances in local body elections, the YSRCP is in the driver’s seat, but since nothing is permanent in politics, the party cannot take victory for granted.
