Now,for the truth

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, Winston Churchill famously said of Russia. Political analysts are saying the same of Andhra Pradesh as they struggle to map out an electoral landscape full of imponderables. Who wins its 42 Lok Sabha seats might hold the key to forming the next Central government. But a riddle and a mystery prevent easy answers. The demand for a new Telangana state the one point agenda of the TRS party has gained considerable traction within the state. Reports suggest that the Left and the TDP hope to piggy-back on this issue,while the Congress has chosen to risk its prospects by going it alone. How these alliances pan out remains a riddle. Further upsetting any predictions is the new Praja Rajyam Party. Already Chiranjeevis charisma has moved beyond the silver screen to the equally cinematic coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh. But whether mass rallies and star-power will translate into votes is a mystery.

To these unfathomables,add enigma. The unfolding saga of chicanery and deceit in a company eponymous with Andhra pride is bound to have political ramifications; as does the monetary scale of the Satyam scam,and 53,000 distraught employees. Satyam and Maytas are also heavily invested in infrastructure projects in AP; so heavily invested,in fact,that the state government says its unable to cancel these contracts. Given Satyams spread,it has become a reason for political mudslinging: Satyams stunning early growth was spurred by Chandrababu Naidus cyber-dreams; Maytass land holdings burgeoned during the current Congress regime.

The way the Satyam factor plays out is bound to have an impact on the forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Which is why its all the more important that the probe into the fraud be not just transparent,expeditious and bipartisan,but seen to be so as well. Even a hint of politics,and the already suspect role of the states political class will be confirmed. Andhra Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has begun well by desisting from heaping blame on his political rival Chandrababu Naidu. But if he is to maintain his credibility,the probe into Satyam must be as clean and transparent as its subject is dirty and opaque.