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ANDHRA PRADESH |
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Desertions may haunt Congress in Andhra Pradesh
The strong showing by Jagan Reddy-led YSR Congress may prove too hard a temptation to resist for many Congress MLA’s itching to be on the winning side
Sai Manish
Hyderabad
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Photos: Syed Mazhar Ali
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In what could be a game changing result, the Yuvarna Sramika Ruthu Congress (YSRC) has bagged 15 of the 18 Assembly seats in the by-poll. It also bagged one Lok Sabha seat of Nellore. Riding on a strong sympathy wave, jailed MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's fledgling YSR Congress romped home in most of Rayalseema and Coastal Andhra. Congress won just two Assembly seats, while main opposition Telugu Desam faced a complete rout across all constituencies.
The contest between who fared worst got even more ridiculous when the Congress leaders expressed satisfaction over winning two seats ignoring the fact that four of its candidates had lost even their deposits. TDP spokesperson LVRSV Prasad said, “The Congress miscalculated Jagan’s arrest and illogical statements made by Congress top brass led to YSR Congress winning.” The result is a vindication of sorts for 39-year-old Kadapa MP is fighting a bitter battle with the Congress over his father and late chief minister YS Rajsekhara Reddy's political legacy.
In the by-polls, touted as the "semi-finals" ahead of the 2014 Assembly elections, the TRS managed to scrape through with a slender margin of 1,562 votes in Parkal, the lone Assembly seat in Telangana region. The Congress saw its majority reduced to just seven seats having 155 MLAs in a House of 294. The YSRCP tally increased to 17. YSRC's M Rajamohan Reddy won the Nellore Lok Sabha seat defeating high-profile T Subbirami Reddy of Congress by a margin of 2,91,745 votes. It was also a loss of face for actor-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi as the YSRC wrested the Tirupati Assembly seat he vacated upon his election to Rajya Sabha in March.
The victory of YSRC was so resounding that the Congress lost deposits in four constituencies though it managed to win two seats, Those victories were secured by a division of the Reddy votes-an important caste factor in these constituencies. Political observers now believe that the Congress will have to try hard to prevent its MLAs from crossing over into the Jagan camp. The TDP too has convened a politburo meeting to discuss the dismaying results although there are very few fears of desertions in the TDP camp. The Jagan Reddy camp is ecstatic. His mother YS Vijayalakshmi visited him in jail and he has sent a message to his supporters to "serve the people" like his father did. Vijayalakshmi said, "My son will come out of jail soon and he will continue with his Odarpu Yatra. It is God's will that he should become the Chief Minister and serve the people".
Meanwhile, inspired by recent Bollywood movies, a YSR Congress leader Abdur Rehman fired shots from his revolver at the party HQ in Hyderabad's upmarket Jubilee Hills. He was however promptly arrested under the Arms Act for his shocking celebration in the middle of the day in a busy locality.
Sai Manish is a Correspondent with Tehelka.
sai.manish@tehelka.com
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