YSRCP is Winning Big: Did Yellow Media Confirm It?

Assembly elections ended in Andhra Pradesh last week and with this the hopes of a section of media like Eenadu and Andhra Jyothi were dashed as a large number of women beneficiaries of YSRCP’s welfare agenda came out to vote on May 13. The TDP friendly media which started a smear campaign against the ruling party is still continuing its momentum and trying to mislead the people in the state. 

Keeping aside the ethics and standards of journalism, these media houses did biased reporting on violence on the day of polling and aftermath. The reporting on violent attacks on the marginalised sections showed that these media houses were trying to protect the attackers. As per the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the state government constituted the Special Investigation Team to probe the violence during polling and aftermath. It seems Eenadu Chairman Ramoji Rao did not like it. The vernacular media reported unfairly about the investigating officers and the probe. They did not spare even the Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy. 

The yellow media is continuously targeting the YSRCP government over the distribution of funds through various welfare schemes. Despite the prompt disbursal of funds, these media houses are picking holes in it. 

We know that several political leaders indulge in doublespeak on various issues. However, nobody can beat TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan in this game of words. When the Election Commission ordered the state government to form a SIT panel to probe the violent incidents in Palnadu, Anantapur and Tirupati districts, the same media started a smear campaign and blamed the ruling party for the post poll violence. 

Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari wrote a letter to the EC demanding the transfer of certain officials ahead of elections on the request of TDP leader Naidu. She not only mentioned the names of removal of as many as 29 officials including 25 police officers, but she also suggested the names of their replacements. Interestingly, the EC allegedly approved the given list of names and transferred the officials. 

Probably, the TDP alliance might have thought that the new officials would stop the YSRCP voters from exercising their franchise, but that did not happen. A large number of people came out to cast their vote for the continuation of development works started by the chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s administration. 

Disillusioned by the prevailing scenario on the polling day, the TDP’s supporters went on a rampage. They attacked the house of YSRCP’s Narasaraopet MLA candidate Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy. The police had to fire rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. In Tadipatri, a few men barged into the residence of sitting YSRCP MLA Kethireddy Pedda Reddy and ransacked it. 

Also Read: AP Poll-related Violence: SIT Submits Report to DGP