The role of an opposition party in a democracy is as important as that of the ruling party. They ensure that the acts of the ruling party are not detrimental to the interest of general public or nation at large. But the situation in the two Telugu-speaking states: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is a completely different story.
Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent win has brought a smile to the faces of people in Andhra Pradesh. The happiness is because they are expecting to witness a new era of development with the new leader/party coming into power.
YSRCP was established in 2011 by Jagan Mohan Reddy, after the demise of his father and the then CM, YSR Reddy. Ever since its inception, it worked as a strong opposition party in AP assembly. In 2011 assembly elections, YSRCP, won 67 MLA seats i.e., 38% of the total assembly, and stood as a strong opposition to TDP (Telugu Desam Party), the then party in power. It vehemently criticized the government actions throughout the span of five years. One can clearly understand here that – even though the party couldn’t come to power, it acted as a watchdog for people’s rights in AP. In other words, we can say that it played the role of a guardian of democracy by protecting the anti-poor policies of the government.
In the recent 2019 elections, YSRCP has formed the government with 151 seats i.e., almost 85.70% of the total seats (more MLAs are expected to join). Whereas the TDP could manage to get only 23 seats i.e., 13% of the total assembly seats.
When it comes to the state of Telangana, since its formation, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has a played a dominated role. The party itself was formed to make Telangana region a separate state from erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. After the formation of Telangana in 2014, elections took place where TRS formed the government with 63 seats i.e., 52% of total house. Whereas INC the opposition party, won 22 seats i.e., 18% of the house.
In a comparative analysis of Telugu-speaking states, AP had a strong opposition than Telangana in 2014 elections. In the recent 2018 assembly elections, Telangana had a contrary situation – where TRS formed the government with 101 seats i.e., almost 85% of the total seats on par with YRSCP in AP. The recent assembly elections in AP and Telangana brings the Telugu-speaking states on similar lines with no strong opposition or in fact with no opposition.
Democracy, when it comes to elections, is nothing but a number game. The policies of the any government are valid only if majority of people in the legislature accept it. When the majority of the legislators are from a single political party, it will become an autocratic rule in the name of democracy. As everyone knows, strong opposition is mainstay of the democracy, and currently, it is lacking in Telugu-speaking states. It is high time for everyone to keep an eye on the rule in these states to ensure they do not falsify the existing theories of a democracy.