Hyderabad: Unable to match the campaign started by TRS contestants, Prajakutami aspirants are unsure of opening the purse strings just yet even though appeasing the committed cadre particularly during events like Durga Puja is important.
Mr Jeevan Reddy, an aspirant in Mahbubnagar district, said TRS candidates were spending money freely. “Every evening, liquor parties are being arranged in groups among targeted communities. We are unable to maintain the tempo,”he said.
The TRS contestants were financing Bathukamma flower arrangements and Durga pandals as Prajakutami aspirants lagged behind, he said. In the villages, more than one Durga pandal had come up which was unusual, he said.
A villager in Abhanga-patnam in Koilkonda mandal of Mahbubnagar district said autorickshaws full of toddy bottles had come to their village one day and bottles were handed out just for the asking. “We are hoping to get such a bounty”, he said.
Mr Nagendranath, an advocate, said the expenditure matrix was highly skewed as TRS contestants had got 1.5 months before filing their nominations on November 12 whereas the Prajakutami was yet to name its nominees.
It is advantage TRS as its candidates don’t have to account for their expenditure before the poll notification is issued. After that date, they have to file their spending with the Election Commission.
Prajakutami aspirants in at least 40 constituencies who were sure of securing a ticket were going ahead with pleasing their supporter base. In Nalgonda district, where most of the senior leaders in the Congress hailed from, the Opposition candidates were quantitatively and qualitatively matching the TRS money splurge. When it came to Mahbubnagar, Warangal and Nizamabad districts, the Prajakutami was lagging behind, said an observer.
