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A.P. verdict

Sir, — This refers to the editorial "Lessons from Andhra Pradesh" (May 12). The lessons from the rout of the Telugu Desam Party and its leader, Chandrababu Naidu, in the Assembly elections are plain and simple: do not get carried away by media hype; development must have a human face; do not try to encash on sympathy; cobble together your alliance well; do not allow space for Opposition unity; and have responsible persons to head disaster management. It is a shame to let people die for want of food.

Daman Prakash Jain,

Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The lesson for all politicians is that voters' memory is strong enough not to be swayed by temporary factors such as sympathy, cine star glamour, astrological predictions, and publicity stunts. Mr. Naidu spent most of his time on image-building rather than on resolving basic issues.

Padmaja Reddy,

Hanamkonda, A.P.

* * *

Sir, — The ouster of Mr. Naidu's hi-tech Government does not come as a surprise, but the massive majority secured by the Congress-led alliance is beyond all expectations. Your editorial rightly says that no Government can afford to ignore the basic issues of the people. The verdict also shows that the free will of the voters is least affected by propaganda, rhetoric and opinion polls.

V.K. Sathyavan Nair,

Kottayam, Kerala

* * *

Sir, — Anti-incumbency is no doubt an important factor in Mr. Naidu's defeat. In a democracy, basic needs such as electricity, irrigation and employment should be addressed first. Particularly a poor State like Andhra Pradesh cannot function like a corporate house. Mr. Naidu should have first learnt how to walk before attempting to fly. The electorate has taught him that a CEO cannot simultaneously be a Chief Minister.

A. Thirumalai Prakash,

Madurai, T.N.

* * *

Sir, — The verdict reflects a grand unity of purpose among all the sections and areas of the State. The TDP debacle is a massive mandate against the enormous growth of corruption.

R.V. Digumarthi,

Visakhapatnam, A.P.

* * *

Sir, — It is indeed a matter of concern that the new Congress Government's first agenda is likely to be free power to the agriculture sector. There is no doubt that the sector has been neglected and its problems need to be urgently addressed, but Rajasekhara Reddy's prescription is going to be a case of the cure being worse than the disease. We have seen vast decline in the water table due to drought throughout the State and free power will only make matters worse.

P. Sriram,

Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The TDP Government was forward looking, professionally managed and development oriented. It was this Government that made Hyderabad an international destination and provided visibility to the State. The development that the State witnessed in the last five-eight years was unprecedented. The Naidu Government's drubbing at the hustings appears to be a vote for change for the sake of change.

Sudheendhra Putty,

Bangalore

* * *

Sir, — It is too early to censure Mr. Naidu and his pro-IT policies in the context of the results. Nobody can deny his contribution in highlighting Andhra Pradesh's position in the global IT community. His pro-privatisation policies and power sector reforms have proved to be an inspiration to many leaders. The only thing that went wrong was his autocratic approach.

Ashutosh Srivastava,

New Delhi

* * *

Sir, — Despite the romantics' claim that the average voter is very savvy in using his ballot, he has shown himself to be ignorant of basic economic facts and willing to vote for any political candidate as long as he is promised everything free. The economic reality is that there are no free lunches. So who will pay for all the free things the politicians promise to get your vote? But the voter wants his freebies and the Congress is ready to oblige him.

Shashi Kelkar,

Bangalore

* * *

Sir, — The Indian voter has voted out Mr. Naidu who put Andhra Pradesh on the world stage and who was voted the best Chief Minister in India by impartial observers. But the same voter also returned Narendra Modi to power with a thumping majority.

N. Nagesh,

Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The people of Andhra Pradesh have acted in haste to get free power supply, free everything.

Valayath Hari,

Hyderabad

* * *

Sir, — The news report "Exit polls mirrored the trend" (May 12) was interesting. It would have been better to have waited for the final results before carrying it though. Forecasting results by small samples, howsoever random, cannot be a valid method as there are various factors working at cross-purposes. Assumptions can at best be only guesstimates spiced with hearsay and speculation.

R. Krishnamoorthy,

Chennai

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