In a big departure from the past, the Tirupati constituency is experiencing an unusually different narrative in this by-election, where the emphasis is not on the party’s promises or other burning issues, but on the candidate’s faith.
In the past few days, the two major parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), have resorted to tarnishing rival candidates for their religion. The BJP State Secretary and co-responsible for the state, Sunil Deodhar, whose latest tweet about Tirumala chief priest Ramana Deekshitulu caused concern both in the TTD and in government circles, made the next attempt by telling the daring Prime Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on his party candidate, M. Gurumoorthy, to divulge the religion.
In his tweet posted on Sunday, Mr Deodhar wanted to know why Dr. Gurumoorthy Balaji had not taken darshan until now. “Is he also a Christian masquerading as a Hindu SC like your HM? If so, then you are also cheating on people and Christ, ”he read his tweet. He posted another tweet in which Dr. Gurumoorthy in a Gudur church prayed with the message: “This is a violation of the Constitution which clearly states that Christians cannot run from constituencies reserved by SC. They are devious PCs. BJP-JSP will not fulfill your hidden agenda. “Following Monday, he posted on his Twitter handle the screenshot of the Facebook page of the President of the AP Christian State Youth Council, Rev. Abilash, who is also pastor of the Holy Prayer Church in Gudur (the post has since been removed) Dr . Gurumoorthy prayed in the Church on the day the nomination was submitted.
The BJP’s position was no better against those who questioned the candidate’s faith. The day former Karnataka bureaucrat K. Ratna Prabha was named a BJP candidate, similar posts surfaced on social media, questioning her beliefs. One post accused her of practicing Christianity even though her certificate showed her to be a Hindu SC. The controversy later subsided on its own.
On Sunday, Syed Shafi Ahmed Qadari, the provincial government-appointed qazi, caused controversy by holding a Muthavalis meeting at a mosque in Tirupati, where he allegedly sought votes for the YSRCP candidate.