February 23, 1998

Mahboobnagar  Andhra Pradesh
Electorate: 12.5 lakh
Main Rival: M. Mallikarjuna (Congress)

He's always been a lone ranger. As UF spokesman, he single-handedly dodged tough questions from the media and as minister for information and broadcasting he freed the national network from government control -- something others had only promised. Now, as a candidate for the 12th Lok Sabha, S. Jaipal Reddy, 55, is playing another solo number -- as the only Janata Dal contestant in the 42 constituencies of Andhra Pradesh.

It cannot be gratifying for a man who has been fiercely independent to piggyback on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He travels in the TDP's yellow vehicle adorned with portraits of N.T. Rama Rao and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. But Reddy can't complain. He's been a national-level strategist for so long that he has had no time to develop a mass base. This is why he constantly harps on his party symbol, the wheel: "My election symbol is the chakram. Be sure to stamp it so that I can spin the Sudarshan Chakra like Lord Krishna to stamp out the corrupt in Delhi." And he doesn't mince words while pointing out that his rival, PCC chief M. Mallikarjun, has neither a house in the constituency nor a say in Parliament.

His formula: "To be effective a politician must communicate to different groups and sections keeping in mind their vocabulary and values." It's a survival strategy that has worked well for him. It is one he has worked out on his own.

-- Amarnath K. Menon

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