TD bypoll victory due to fear factor: YSRC

KURNool: What are the factors that worked in favour of the TD candidate is a question that is being deliberated by poll pundits across the state. They believe that it was the promise of developmental activities that were initiated in Nandyal and sympathy for the Bhuma family that turned the tide in TD’s favour. Rival YSRC candidate Shilpa Mohan Reddy told this newspaper said that his absence from campaigning activities due to viral fever for 25 days was a big drawback for him. Mr Shilpa Mohan Reddy said that going through the voting pattern in areas considered his stronghold, he found that sympathy for the family of the late Bhuma Nagi Reddy was clearly visible.

Mr Shilpa Mohan Reddy also cited instances of the ruling party’s threats to citizens that if they do not vote for the TD, all developmental projects initiated by them would be stalled. He added that this might have cast doubts in peoples minds and they would have voted for TD. YSRC district convener Gouri Venkat Reddy said, “Nandyal has been neglected for the past 30 years in terms of development. Now, they are at a striking distance of getting the town developed with Chief Minister Naidu’s new initiatives. They do not want to lose those benefits that is why they voted for the TD,” he said. He added that votes for TD were not cast out of love but out of fear. He added that there was disproportionate concentration of state power in Nandyal and promises like 13,000 houses, tractors, 60,000 sewing machines and various other sops did play a role in the result.

Mr Venkat Reddy alleged that Rs 5,000 was offered by the TD to people to cast their votes in the party’s favour. He added that people want Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to rule the state. The kind of sops TD announced to win this bypoll is an aberration which cannot be repeated in the 2019 general elections.

Win to help TD stem dissidence:

The victory in Nandyal is a blessing in disguise for TD which has been facing dissidence in the party because of serious differences between the party old guard and migrants from YSR Congress and Congress in Nellore and Prakasam districts. Longstanding TD leaders and cadres along with new entrants in the party are at loggerheads in Addanki, Giddalur, Kandukur, Chirala and Yarragondapalem in Praksam district besides Gudur, Nellore and Atmakur in Nellore district. TD leaders such as former legislator and party in-charge for Giddalur Anna Rambabu had left the party recently because of Giddalur legislator M. Ashok Kumar Reddy dominance.

At the time of quitting, Rambabu along with his followers had threatened to launch a door-to-door campaign against TD to highlight the injustice done to him. Legislators, who joined TD after winning with a YSRC ticket, such as Pothula Rama Rao of Kandukur, Gottipati Ravikumar of Addanki, David Raju of Yerragondapalem, Ashok Reddy of Giddalur were reportedly planning to return to YSRC because of regular conflicts with TD men and YSRC campaign over the 2019 general elections. Though the party top brass attempted to break the ice between the warring groups, there was no change in the situation at the ground level.

In the wake of a resounding triumph at Nandyal, TD leaders are of the view that the migrants cannot demand any post and they will travel with TD silently because of YSRC's poor show in Nandyal. "YSRC had launched a false propaganda similar to 2014 pre-election time that TD is weakening and they are gaining ground in AP. Their malicious campaign has been exposed in Nandyal and it certainly forces the leaders planning to quit TD to rethink their decision," MLC and TD Nellore district unit president Beeda Ravichandra observed.
He added that as many as 25 YSRC legislators were ready to embrace Telugu Desam if the Centre gives the green signal to the delimitation process.