YSRC claims 130, Telugu Desam expects 145 assembly seats in Seemandhra

Hyderabad: As campaigning for Seemandhra came to a close on Sunday, both the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress claimed that they would reap an incredible number of seats.

The YSRC claimed that it would win 125 to 130 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats in Seemandhra while the TD laid claim to more than 145 seats. TD leader Nara Lokesh cited some “intelligence reports” to claim 147 seats.

Ground reports suggested, however, that this would be one of the most fiercely fought elections in Seemandhra due to the disbursement of huge amounts of money, liquor and other inducements to voters by both parties.

The game plan of TD’s Mr Chandrababu Naidu in tying up with the BJP to cash in on the Narendra Modi wave and roping in actor Pawan Kalyan to benefit from his charisma seems to have paid dividends while YSRC’s Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy's plan of utilising the services by his sister Ms Sharmila, who drew large crowds, was also a major hit.

(Read: Pawan Kalyan may cost contestants the polls)

Besides Mr Naidu and his son Mr Lokesh, Pawan too made it a point to criticise the YSRC president and his family for their alleged involvement in several cases of corruption and asked voters to choose development that could be ensured by Mr Naidu due to his administrative experiences.

Interestingly, Mr Naidu, who had stated during campaigns in Telangana that the T state would be a reality because of his letter favouring division — he had even raised chanted “Jai Telangana” — changed tack in Seemandhra and blamed the division on the YSRC chief.

On his part, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused Mr Naidu as being solely responsible for the happenings that led to the division and promised all round development like it was during his late father YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s time. Interestingly, he did not say anything on the comments made by Pawan Kalyan and instead entrusted the job of taking him on to his sister.

Both leaders totally ignored the Congress and confined their attacks on each other. While Mr Naidu, banking on his record as the chief minister, promised to bring back “Rama Rajyam”, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy promised to bring “Raajanna Rajyam” (return of YSR’s rule) if he was given the chance to rule the state.

Not only the parties, the newspapers and TV channels aligned with either party attacked the other in a series of editorials and stories.

While this is so, the Congress is struggling. The party’s campaign in Seemandhra in fact, was just a formality. AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting each in Seemandhra in contrast to Mr Modi who addressed a number of public meetings here.

The prominent leaders contesting in Seemandhra for Assembly are: Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy (Pulivendula), Mr Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam), Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar (Tenali) , former Assembly Speaker K. Prathibha Bharathi (Rajam), former PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana (Cheepurupali), APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy (Penugonda), actor Bala Krishna (Hindupur) and former minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy.

For Lok Sabha, the heavyweights are: YSRCP honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi (Visakhapatnam), Union ministers Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy (Kurnool), Kishore Chandra Deo (Araku), Rayapati Sambasiva Rao (Narasaraopet), Daggubati Purandeswari (Rajampet), J.C. Diwakar Reddy (Anantapur) and Ashok Gajapathi Raju (Vizianagaram).

The highlight in the Seemandhra elections is that for the first time in the country’s electoral history, a deceased politician, YSRC’s Shobha Nagi Reddy, is in the fray (from Allagadda Assembly segment in Kurnool district). The leader recently passed away in an accident while returning from campaigning and her name continues to be in the ballot paper as a contesting candidate.

According to the Election Commission, if Shobha Nagi Reddy gets the most votes, there will be a by-election later.