AP's political landscape painted predominantly in blue

28-05-201928-05-2019 17:14:50 IST
Updated On 28-05-2019 17:19:57 ISTUpdated On 28-05-20192019-05-28T11:44:50.216Z28-05-2019 2019-05-28T11:34:34.665Z - 2019-05-28T11:49:57.048Z - 28-05-2019

The political landscape of Andhra Pradesh has undergone a lot of change in the recently concluded general elections. In 2014, it was a commingle of blue, (YSRCP), Yellow (TDP) and Saffron (BJP).

National channels even coloured AP in Saffron as the ruling TDP was once part of NDA that was heading the central government.

 

NDA returned to power at the Centre, but TDP did not retain the same in the State.

As a result, in 2019, the mix of colours is missing in the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh as the people of the State gave YSRCP massive victory as it decimated the ruling TDP in four districts and dominated it in each and every district. BJP and Congress just drew blank in the Assembly as well as in Loksabha elections.

The State is now predominantly coloured with political blue with just a couple of patches of yellow. Saffron is completely absent. 

Saffron lost its ground in 2019, which it gained in the State in 2014 due to an alliance with TDP. It fought elections on its own in 2019. This did not benefit BJP, but YSRCP gained on a large scale due to huge anti-incumbency prevailing in the State. The anti-incumbency hit both TDP and BJP. YSRCP painted the political landscape of AP blue with just three patches of Yellow and saffron completely absent in Loksabha landscape too in the State. 

Saffron surge has been witnessed in majority parts of the country, spreading from Hindi heartland to East and North East as well as to Odisha in South. Even then, Andhra Pradesh remained a hard nut to crack for BJP, as the party failed to paint even a small patch with saffron in the State. It failed to win even in an assembly constituency.

With Congress losing its vote share continuously for the second time after bifurcation of the State, the political landscape of the State has been left with only two colours; blue and yellow, with no place for the other colour.

The colours on the AP political landscape indicate the dominance of regional parties similar to Tamil Nadu with National parties being relegated to addendum status for either party in the State. Both Congress and BJP are not in a position to give a fight to any of the regional parties in AP. 

If the regional parties prevail over AP in the next elections too, the national parties may remain as the partners of the forced alliance if any. If any regional party considers alliance to restore its lost ground, it may consider a national party to assist it, being an alliance partner. As of now, the national parties have no other scope in Andhra Pradesh.