Hyderabad:
In Andhra Pradesh, this is a whole new sort of unhealthy competition among politicians.
Chandrababu Naidu, leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has begun an indefinite fast today in a show of support for farmers. Naidu wants the Congress government to compensate farmers whose crops were destroyed by this year's heavy monsoon. He also believes they should be given larger subsidies to help put them back on their feet. So far, Mr Naidu's fast extends to water.
In four days, Jagan Mohan Reddy, who recently checked out of the Congress, will launch his hunger strike for the same cause on the banks of the River Krishna in the Vijayawada district.
"It is for the cause of farmers, there is no politics in this. Every political party, every elected representative should join and support the farmers," says Naidu.
But there is much at stake for the TDP leader - when he served as Chief Minister for nearly a decade starting 1995, Naidu was seen as fixated with IT and new industry, and disinterested in agriculture and farmer interests. That perception has cost his party heavily, and critics are quick to point out that his fast is aimed at wooing back a disenchanted constituency.
"In his nine years as Chief Minister, he did nothing for farmers. In fact, he asked farmers to stop agriculture and learn computers. Now he says he will sacrifice his life for farmers. People won't fall for his tricks,'' says M Varaprasada Rao, who is the state's Rural Development Minister.