Political bets hit new high after municipal poll results
Punters turn active after civic poll results, YSRC still a hot favourite
Hyderabad: The municipal poll results announced on Monday have heated up the betting scene, with lakhs and crores being placed on the outcome of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and also the rural local bodies elections to be announced on Tuesday.
With the Telugu Desam bagging the most of the civic bodies in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, Satta Bazaar operators were busy luring prospective enthusiasts to place bets in the city on the possible outcome of the Assembly and Lok Sabha election results, based on the results of these civic polls that were held in March.
While the results were declared by 3 pm on Monday, Satta Bazaar operators set a deadline of 5 pm to place bets. The results announced today changed the odds offered in the bazaar by evening.
“The odds offered today (Monday) are 80-83 for Assembly seats for YSR Congress in Seemandhra,” said a city-based punter. The odds offered on Sunday were 92-96 for YSR Congress, indicating a win for the party in Seemandhra against the magic number of 88.
(Read: Andhra Pradesh: Punters cash in on poll results)
However, the YSR Congress did not lose its sheen as punters believed that municipal body elections and Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are fought
on entirely different issues.
While the TD has won the urban bodies elections with a clear majority, punters are awaiting the results of the rural bodies’ elections, the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) that will be announced on Tuesday.
“I am waiting for the rural body poll results to come out; I do not want to take a risk based on municipal results. I believe that YSR Congress has a good following in rural areas,” said a punter.
The hot venues for betting are bars, which are full to the brim with customers. A political leader said that he is ready to offer Rs 10 crore if the Congress gets five seats. Fans of the YSR Congress have been inviting bets, expressing confidence in the party forming the government, and similar is the case with Telugu Desam supporters.