Will Chiranjeevi be the King or Kingmaker of Andhra Pradesh Politics?

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Harold R. McAlindon


Before we deliberate whether Chiranjeevi be the king or kingmaker in the Andhra Politics, let us look at political scenario prevailing when NT Rama Rao entered into AP politics and the time Chiranjeevi entered political scenario. In fact, there is a vast gap and that cannot be compared.

When NTR entered into politics there was political vacuum as there was no strong opposition. Congress ruled the state of Andhra Pradesh continuously. Although people disliked Congress they voted as there was no suitable alternative. At that time, NTR founded Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and successfully threw out Congress government within a short span of founding the party. Of course, he made several mistakes during his tenure but he learnt lessons during his political career and evolved as a successful leader.

Unfortunately, there was no political vacuum when Chiranjeevi founded Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) as there was a strong opposition i.e. TDP. He struggled a lot to find acceptance and ultimately established himself as a leader to reckon with. Of course, like NTR, Chiranjeevi also made several mistakes as he is new to politics. But Chiranjeevi rose from ranks and learnt several lessons. Like NTR, he will also learn lessons and excel as a successful politician. He brought forward the slogan of ‘Change’ as the way Obama came to power in America. Let us wait and see whether the magic works or not.

The advantage with Chiranjeevi is that he is a leader who rose from masses, where as, other contemporary leaders rose from parties founded by others. That makes him as a successful leader than that of other leaders of Andhra Pradesh. He has grit and determination. He is a self-made man who knows the value of life. Therefore, he can empathize with people’s problems and find solutions. Vince Lombardi rightly said, “Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” And Chiranjeevi’s goal is to bring social justice which is possible when he pursues and persists in his political career. He is workaholic and has tenacity to move forward. Initially several politicians threw brickbats at him but he was not disturbed by such things and moved ahead. It is one of the hallmarks of a successful leader. He is a good communicator and can sway the audience at ease. He is the real crow puller. He is cool, composed and charismatic.

In the history of Andhra Pradesh, there is no hung house. As per the exit polls, it appears that there will be a hung house. In that case, Chiranjeevi will definitely be the king maker and will play a crucial role in AP politics. If he gets sizable majority, he can become the Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh through power sharing basis.

Even if he does not become the CM this time, there will be an opportunity for him to prove himself and become, in future, as he has a long way to go. What he should do is to stay in touch with people, raise the issues of concern to common man thereby gradually evolving as a successful politician and also as a leader.

The End