“ The oblique paradox of propaganda is that the lie in the throat becomes, by repetition, the truth in the heart”.
Ordinary people’s heads in Andhra Pradesh are spinning with hyperbolic headlines in the Yellow media. There is a fear of creeping political apocalypse.
Everyone in AP, from political class to intelligentsia to the common man in the streets appears to have lacked the universally acceptable modes of reasoning to erase the contradiction and confusion in trying to comprehend the conspiracy theories that are being churned out by the political class in the state.
Will Chandrababu’s serious charges that he is being victimized by the BJP’s ambition and greed to expand in south, make the Political battle over Andhra’s future bitter and quite possibly bloody?
Can Modi recalibrate his “Tripura Magic” to make it a “surgical strike” instead of a scatter bomb which could end up politically hurting him and his tacit alleys in the state?
The BJP’s spectacular success in the tiny state of Tripura has certainly enthused the party leaders in Andhra, who went around the state claiming that they are all set to repeat Tripura in the state at the cost of, political future of CBN, the now estranged political bedfellow.
But for various conceivable political factors Andhra Pradesh is no Tripura and CBN is no Manik Sarkar .
CBN had built an indestructible belief among the gullible Andhra Public to convince them( read to take them on a fantasy ride) that he alone could deliver things for them given his vast political administration experience in the state( read 40 years Industry).
Moreover, the anti-bifurcation narrative diligently promoted by him still holds sway on the state electorate, which is now helping him to engineer a coup of sorts by declaring a sentimental war on the BJP-led Centre.
By declaring “Me the Victim” narrative against Modi, CBN not only raised curtains for possible Conspiracy theories against him to build a sentimental war to his advantage, but also with one shot made Modi a political untouchable in the state.
With this, he thwarted any possible alliance between YS Jagan and Modi, created difficulties for Pawan Kalyan to act tacit ally to Modi and almost ensured multi-cornered contest in the state to split anti-establishment vote benefiting TDP and tide over the possible anti-incumbency by diverting the people’s anger at the Centre.
For Modi, CBN was never a trusted ally given the past experience and he is unsure of his support in the future.
Therefore, Modi and his strategists have been working against CBN, being doubly suspicious that CBN is capable of triggering an anti-Modi campaign.
The Modi-Shah duo was also uncomfortable with TDP as it feared that this alliance is detrimental to the growth of the saffron party in the state.
Thus, the duo was on the lookout for a better bargaining partner in Andhra to compensate losses, if any, in Cow belt post-2019 elections.
As such, it developed a clandestine deal with YS Jagan and Pawan Kalyan and considered them as allies in reserve.
CBN, who is a veteran of 40 years Industry and known for meticulous and merciless moves in politics (recall how he back-stabbed NTR, his own father-in-Law), could smell Modi’s electoral strategy for 2019 behind the bonhomie between the Modi and his adversaries.
By triggering debates over conspiracy theories and building an emotional war, CBN could successfully get several objectives realised.
With this shrewd move of CBN and also due to the special status discourse, Modi might find it extremely difficult to find any pre-election allies in Andhra Pradesh.
Neither YS Jagan nor Pawan can have any alliance partner as they have to fear political backlash if they strike any pre-poll arrangement with Modi, given the “Emotional Narrative” being created against him by CBN.
This would create a multi-cornered contest splitting the anti-establishment vote, obviously benefiting CBN.
Given the slender margin of victory in 2014, Naidu feels that the fragmented polity would help him place in a position of advantage.
Besides, all the conspiracy theories that were being floated will also help him to tide over anti-incumbency.
So, for Modi, CBN is no Manik Sarkar and Andhra is no Tripura.
Modi needs to innovate state specific political solution rather than forge clandestine deals giving an opportunity for a seasoned politician like CBN to float conspiracy theories to construct a formidable emotional narrative as a smoke screen to cover his failures.
