Congress, TDP unite to delay Andhra Pradesh poll

Hyderabad: Fresh doubts are being raised over holding elections in the two successor states of Andhra Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha general elections in April-May with near consensus emerging among the ruling party leaders of Seemandhra and Telangana over delaying the polls.

While the Election Commission gave enough indications to the Centre that it is ready to hold Assembly polls as per schedule either in a unified state or in the two states, the political leadership at the Centre is increasingly under pressure to delay the polls.Significantly, the section of Congress leaders lobbying for delay has found an ally in Telugu Desam, which, according to party insiders, is averse to go to polls when the wounds of division are yet to be healed.

The common enemy for all these sections is YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, whose sweeping of the polls in Seemandhra is being predicted by almost all poll surveys. Congress leaders who pledged loyalty to the outgoing Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy also favour a delay because they feel that some time would be available for the new party to make inroads and a dent in the YSRC by splitting the anti-TD vote in Seemandhra.

“We did not anticipate that the people of Seemandhra would equally blame the BJP for the division. This will further consolidate YSRC’s position in Seemandhra if elections are held immediately,” pointed out a former minister and TD politburo member.

The party is of the view that the TD-BJP combine can expect better results if Mr Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister by the time the Assembly polls are held, a few months after the LS polls.