It has become quite common that whenever there is a major accident or natural disaster, both the ruling party and the opposition engage in political maneuvering, attempting to gain maximum political advantage from the situation.
In most cases, the ruling party finds itself on the defensive, while the opposition tries to gain the upper hand by blaming the government for not providing adequate relief to the victims. This criticism often overlooks what the opposition did when it was in power and faced similar incidents.
For instance, after a major explosion at a chemical factory in Atchutapuram SEZ, Anakapalle, a few days ago, which claimed 17 lives, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu quickly reacted by visiting the factory and announcing ex gratia payments to the families of the deceased.
The next day, YSR Congress Party president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the same location and criticized the government for failing to prevent such accidents and for not providing immediate financial assistance. He conveniently forgot how his own government had handled a similar industrial accident in Vizag in 2020.
On Monday, when Vijayawada was experiencing severe flooding due to heavy discharges from the Prakasam Barrage, Naidu promptly took action, spending the entire night overseeing relief and rescue operations in the inundated areas of Ajith Singh Nagar, Krishna Lanka, Ibrahimpatnam, Ferry, Jupudi, and Moolapadu.
At Jupudi and Moolapadu, where floodwaters had entered homes, Naidu personally met with affected residents, walking through the flooded streets at midnight to understand their needs.
On the same day, Jagan visited the flood-affected areas and waded through knee-deep water in the Singh Nagar and Yanamalakuduru regions, interacting with residents who were struggling due to the heavy rains and floods.
The YSRCP released a statement claiming that residents of Singh Nagar were crying for help and regretting voting Jagan out of power.
“We miss your rule, Jagan anna,” they reportedly said in the statement.
According to the statement, residents complained to Jagan that they had not received any assistance from the government and lacked access to drinking water and food.
“The government has completely failed to support the people during the floods,” the statement concluded.
Of course, no one would expect a different response from Jagan’s party. It would have been the same with the TDP if Jagan had been in power and dealing with the floods.
This is what we call "flood politics"!