Hindi English Translation || Editorial || United, they thrived: On the Andhra Pradesh result

United, they thrived: On the Andhra Pradesh result

A formidable alliance helped the TDP-led alliance win in Andhra Pradesh

Anti-incumbency in Indian State Assembly elections is not rare: governments with strong majorities can lose at the end of a term due to changed expectations from the electorate. Thus, the YSRCP’s loss in Andhra Pradesh to the grand alliance (गठबंधन, संधि) of the Telugu Desam Party-Jana Sena Party-Bharatiya Janata Party should come as no surprise. Yet, the scale of the defeat — the YSRCP could only win 11 seats, a fall of 140 from the 2019 elections, in the 175 constituencies in the 2024 Assembly polls, is astounding (चकित करना). In vote share terms, it suffered a 10 percentage point drop, but still landed a respectable 39.37% tally. But the TDP-led alliance did much better with a collective vote share of 55.3% — an increase of 9.75 points from 2019 and roughly the same as the drop in the YSCRP’s share. This allowed it to garner (इकट्ठा करना) a lion’s share of the seats — 164 out of 175. It is quite clear that the TDP-JSP alliance allowed both parties to thrive. It helped them stitch up cumulative (संचयी) support from the Kamma and Kapu communities that form their bases and also compete against the YSRCP. By roping in the BJP, the alliance managed to also make the election a bipolar race — the Congress has yet to recover from its decimation (विनाश) after the State bifurcation (द्विभाजन, दो भागों में विभाजन) — and make the best use of the first-past-the-post system that can allow parties/coalitions to get a disproportionately higher number of seats on the basis of a decent lead in terms of vote share.

But the electoral system and the mere presence of a competitive alliance alone would not explain the YSRCP’s loss. The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government pumped in money into welfare schemes despite ballooning debt and fiscal health issues and focused on a targeted delivery of subsidies and benefits. But Andhra Pradesh’s record on the growth and development front has left much to be desired. Since its bifurcation, Telangana has emerged with the highest per capita income among major States, while Andhra Pradesh is ranked 10th. Even though the government hiked capex spending in the first quarter of FY24, it was the worst performer in FY23. Other unresolved issues such as the capital of the new State also resulted in a perception (धारणा) among voters about the inadequacy (अपर्याप्तता) of the YSRCP government to focus on jobs and development as opposed to its “generous” spending on welfare. Mr. Naidu’s incarceration (कारावास, कैद) because of a purported scam only increased empathy for the TDP. It is now imperative for the new government to eschew the traditional politics of vendetta and work towards the State’s development. Mr. Naidu has a great opportunity; after all, his party is now indispensable (अनिवार्य, अपरिहार्य) in the new NDA government in New Delhi.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Alliance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - गठबंधन, संधि
English Meaning - A union or association formed for mutual benefit, especially between countries or organizations.

2.Astound (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - चकित करना
English Meaning - To shock or greatly surprise.

3.Garner (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - इकट्ठा करना
English Meaning - To gather or collect something, especially information or approval.

4.Cumulative (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संचयी
English Meaning - Increasing or increased in quantity, degree, or force by successive additions.

5.Decimation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विनाश
English Meaning - The killing or destruction of a large proportion of a group or population.

6.Bifurcation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - द्विभाजन, दो भागों में विभाजन
English Meaning - The division of something into two branches or parts.

7.Perception (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - धारणा
English Meaning - The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses; a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something.

8.Inadequacy (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अपर्याप्तता
English Meaning - The state or quality of being insufficient or not enough.

9.Incarceration (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - कारावास, कैद
English Meaning - The state of being confined in prison; imprisonment.

10.Indispensable (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिवार्य, अपरिहार्य
English Meaning - Absolutely necessary; essential.