Loyalties go for a toss in run-up to MLC polls

Hyderabad: It appears that not loyalty to the party or candidate, but money would play a key role when voting takes place for the six MLC seats in four districts of Telangana state on Sunday.

The ruling TRS has made a prestige issue winning the six seats regardless of its strength in the local bodies and has started utilising all tricks of the trade to lure councillors of municipalities, ZPTCs and MPTCs, the eligible voters, for the MLC polls in Ranga Reddy, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

The Congress and TD, the parties who claim to have won a majority of the local bodies, have been relegated to keeping their flock together, instead of focusing on the winning strategy. The TRS offensive has resulted in these two parties spending huge amounts just to keep their voters happy.

The ruling TRS is way ahead of its rivals, offering not only money to the voters but also raining promises of sanctioning some rural works so that the voters could make more profit.
It is said the parties are offering anywhere between Rs 5 to Rs 7 lakh to each voter to cast his vote in favour of their candidate.

Interestingly, there are reports of some voters receiving money from all the candidates with a promise to vote for him. The situation is similar in all four districts, and candidates are not sure whom the voter will favour when he casts his vote on Sunday.

The main reason for this is that these ZPTCs and MPTCs cannot be re-elected in the next local body polls to be held in 2019 as their constituencies are subjected to rotation of reservations to various categories.

This means that if one constituency is reserved for one category, the same will be reserved for another category in next elections, thus ensuring that they serve only for this term. “In fact, this is the reason. There have been more demands from the voters, and MLC polls are handy to them to put forth several demands,” said Congress candidate and MP Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy.

“I feel it’s a matter of prestige for the Congress to win the seat as several top Telangana Congress leaders hail from Nalgonda,” he said. Gadwal Congress MLA D. K. Aruna’s reaction was similar. She is overseeing the camp operations on behalf of the Congress in Mahbubnagar district. “There is no loyalty for party or individuals. All are demanding favours. We have no option but to oblige them, just to keep our flock together,” Ms Aruna told Deccan Chronicle.