Telugu Desam Party, YSR Congress set for close contest in Seemandhra
TDP and YSRC are going neck to neck in many Assembly segments
Hyderabad: The question now is whether the voters in Seemandhra will return the Telugu Desam’s N. Chandrababu Naidu who has been making all efforts to portray that he alone can build the new capital city besides ensuring speedy, corrupt free and dynamic administration, or will it be Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who has shown his strength in the earlier by-polls and has assured the return of YSR Raj, a government that will be responsive, ensure all round development and welfare including building a world class capital city.
The Seemandhra voters are expected to give a clear-cut mandate this time due to its traditional voting trend which has always been “one sided”.
Meanwhile, ground reports indicate that both the TD and the YSRC are going neck to neck in many Assembly segments. The YSRC is credited for garnering support from majority SCs, STs, minorities, Reddys and a few BC sections while the TD has its traditional vote bank of BCs, Kammas and a other few sections.
However, Telugu Desam chief Mr Chandrababu Naidu has made all out efforts to rope in several sections to his side. These include using the Modi wave to woo the youth, tying up with the BJP to get the support of the trader community, Pawan Kalyan to woo Kapus and the youth, fielding Balakrishna to attract his fans, besides encouraging few leaders from sections supposedly supporting Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Mr K.A. Paul and other pastors, Mr Karem Sivaji from Mala Mahanadu, Mr Manda Krishna Madiga and others have been encouraged by TD leaders to split the vote bank of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Prominent personalities in the Assembly fray are Mr Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam), Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy (Pulivendula), APCC president Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy (Penukonda), Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar (Tenali), former Congress ministers Mr Kanna Laxminarayana (Guntur West), Mr Anam Ramanarayana Reddy (Atmakur), and actor Balakrishna (Hindupur).
Prominent among the Lok Sabha contestants are Union ministers Mr M.M. Pallam Raju (Kakinada), Mr Killi Kriparani (Srikakulam), Ms Panabaka Laxmi (Bapatla) all from the Congress, Ms Y.S. Vijayalakshmi (Visakhapatnam), BJP Seemandhra president Mr K. Haribabu (Visakhapatnam), Mr Ashok Gajapathi Raju (Vizianagaram), Mr Rayapati Sambasiva Rao (Narasarao Pet), Mr Chinta Mohan (Tirupati), Mr A. Sai Pratap (Rajampet), Ms D. Purandareswari (Rajampet) and actor Muralimohan (Rajahmundry).