The Andhra Pradesh opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy received a jolt yesterday when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached his assets worth ₹750 crore. This comes at a time when his party, the YSR Congress is desperately trying to keep its flock of MLAs from defecting to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

 

 This is not the first time ED has attached his assets, and neither is this tranche of ₹750 crore, the biggest tranche of Jagan's property attachments. But it deals a body blow to his prospects for the 2019 elections, with cadre morale already pretty low.

 

“From the perspective of Telugu media and ordinary party cadre, ED’s attachment is a big setback for Jagan. The timing is also bad. This has come at a time when we are planning to launch a campaign to inform every household about Naidu's misrule," a first-time MLA and ardent supporter of Jagan told Asianet Newsable.

Earlier attachment of Jagan’s assets:

  • March 2014: ED attached properties worth ₹863 crore belonging to Jaganmohan Reddy in connection with development of the VANPIC project.
  • December 2014: The ED attached another ₹47 crore.
  • February 2015: ED attached assets worth ₹232 crore.
  • August 2015: The ED issued orders attaching assets worth ₹7.85 crore belonging to Jagan and his associate P Prathap Reddy of Pennar Cements.

But he's confident the fog will clear soon. “See what happened in Tamil Nadu and Bihar.  Despite the court cases people supported Jayalalithaa and Lalu Yadav,” he said optimistically.

 

Nara Lokesh, the TDP general secretary and son of chief minister Naidu was quick to gloat. “…And the corrupt leaders are rightfully going to the places they deserve” he tweeted barely minutes after the ED's press statement on the property attachment.

 

The ED move provides a pretext for YSRC MLAs keen on jumping ship. The TDP machinations revolve around depleting Jagan's legislative strength to such an extent that he is stripped of the status of the leader of opposition in the AP assembly. Jagan is one of the more articulate politicians in the state. If denied the official status as the opposition leader, the TDP hopes that he would be well and truly defanged, and therefore Chandrababu Naidu could carry on with his agenda unquestioned.

 

So far about 20 MLAs left the YSRC fold in two years since the elections. Several others are weighing their options.

 

The TDP's vociferous propaganda that Jagan could be jailed anytime soon has added to the anxiety of YSRC members.  AP finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has even said that the government can confiscate the assets of Jagan and use them for the welfare of the state.

 

As is the case with every regional party in India, the dictatorial streak in Naidu doesn’t tolerate any dissent either inside or outside the assembly. Jagan, with his strength of 67 members in the house has been a thorn in Naidu's flesh. His party has stalled assembly proceedings and often taken to the streets protesting many of the government's 'development' plans.

 

Jagan and his party allege that Naidu's grand plans to bring in investments, make 'world class' cities, and create six lakh jobs is nothing but a brazen ploy to parcel land to cronies and pocket crores of rupees. They allege insider trading in every land deal in Amaravathi, the new capital.

 

Naidu certainly doesn’t want anyone posing such uncomfortable questions.