Will arresting Chandrababu become Jagan’s biggest mistake?

Will AP Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan get his arch rival and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu arrested? This is the hot topic of discussion in political circles these days. The political pundits are debating whether the move will in any way benefit the ruling YSRCP or will it prove counterproductive.

Political watchers say that YS Jagan has made his intentions clear that he would put Chandrababu behind the bars, albeit for a short period. Chandrababu has been designated as A 1 in the Amaravati land scam. The case pertains to the complaint lodged by Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, where he alleged that the alignment of the ORR in Amaravati region was changed to benefit some politicians and others considered close to the government. Sources say Chandrababu Naidu could be arrested in this case.

But many political watchers say that arresting Chandrababu Naidu may prove to be counterproductive. This could whip up a wave of sympathy for Chandrababu Naidu, who is in his 70s now. Chandrababu too could use this as an issue to attack Jagan. The general public may turn against Jagan if he gets Chandrababu arrested. One is reminded of Indira Gandhi’s arrest by the then home minister Choudhury Charan Singh way back in 1978. The arrest created sympathy for Indira Gandhi and she rode back to power in 1980.

So, the question here is – will Jagan make the same mistake as that of Charan Singh? Will he arrest Chandrababu and help him gain sympathy and support? Will he help Chandrababu Naidu make a political comeback? Let’s wait and watch how things unfold.