Andhra Pradesh by-polls; TRS to make a point

After losing Assembly election in Karnataka at the hands of its rival BJP, the Congress longing eyes would be stick on the Andhra Pradesh by-polls for four Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly constituencies are being held on Thursday. At least the Congress party would not like to lose any seat in the state ruling by its own party in coalition with the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti).

But, the game is not very easy for the Congress to win as the by-elections for both Parliament and State Legislature are being held owing to the resignation of its allies' TRS Member of Parliaments and 16 state legislators on the question of delay in granting separate statehood to the Telangana region. The other two seats belong to rival TDP (Telugu Desam Party) and the Congress each, where elections were required caused by the death of its legislators.

Unfortunately for the Congress all the constituencies except one lie in the Telangana region. So winning the polls in these constituencies would be hard nut to crack for the Congress. TRS, on its part, would left no stone unturned in wooing the voters for the cause of separate Telangana state without which the development in the region would be a distant dream.

A section of political parties and some legislators of TRS did not want the by-election at a time when the legislative and the general elections were to be held less than a year, but had to resign at the behest of its leader, the TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.

On the question of separate ‘Telengana Rashtra,’ all 16 legislators and four MPs of TRS had submitted resignation on March 4 this year to register its protest in delay of granting statehood to Telangana region.

TRS has single but strong-separate Telangana Rashtra-issue to seek support of the electorates, while the ruling Congress led by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy hoping to garner votes on the government scheme for grass-root people of supplying rice to the poor at Rs.2 a kg and offering loans at 3 per cent interest.

The Opposition TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu did not stay behind in wooing the electorates and announced free gold mangalasutras for young women at their wedding and loans at 1 per cent interest. Besides, the TDP is hoping to get benefit of the anti-incumbency factor, the adverse price rise of essential commodities and his campaign against corruption in the Congress government.

The election for the 18 constituencies are completed by Thursday evening in which over 8.5 million electorates have used their right to vote through EVMs in 9072 polling booths.

The fate of 174 candidates now has been closed in voting machines. Congress activists were caught red handed in distributing money and liquor among electorates.