Mom, Sis entry changes poll scenerio

Hyderabad: With the incarceration of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in the disproportionate assets case, there is a paradigm shift in the by-election scene.

While the YSRCP, Congress and TDP completed first round of electioneering prior to this development, now it is to be watched how the three principal contenders will carry on their campaign in the new situation.

Apart from the issue that Jagan, son of Rajasekhar Reddy, who has been moving among the public for the past two years was arrested evoking strong feelings among some sections of people.

The entry of his mother and sister into the campaign has introduced an element of sentiment and electrified the atmosphere. As a result, other parties are now forced to take notice of it and work out counter strategies to face the fall out of these new developments.

In the first round, the YSRCP President conducted intensive campaign in all the constituencies except Parakal. From the Congress, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC President Botcha Satyanarayana went round almost all districts. AICC functionaries like Vyalar Ravi and Oscar Fernandez also put in an appearance in some places.

The campaign theme of the Congress party in the first round was that due to selfish reasons Jagan had thrust the by-elections on the people putting a break to the implementation of welfare schemes due to enforcement of election model code conduct in almost half of the state.

They further emphasized point that Jagan amassed huge wealth by misusing his father's position as Chief Minister.

They said all the welfare schemes implemented by Y S Rajasekhar Reddy were schemes of the Congress and that they would be continued. The TDP President Nara Chandrababu Naidu's campaign theme was a mix of what the Congress said about Jagan and a good measure of his own criticism against the ruling party.

He has been telling his audiences that the Congress ministers were on the looting spree and if his party was voted to power it would protect the government lands and wealth.

He repeatedly said that he was changed man and would not only implement the welfare schemes for the poor people but also improvise them by introducing the cash disbursement scheme.

The YSR Congress party which heavily depended on its President Jaganmohan Reddy for campaign has now fielded his mother Vijayalakshmi and sister Sharmila.

The mother and daughter started their campaign from Narasannapet and Payakaraopeta on Wednesday where she attracted huge crowds. They were telling the people that with the latest developments of imprisoning Jagan and preventing him from canvassing in the by-elections, the Congress hatched a conspiracy.

The Congress campaign picked up steam on Thursday with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC Chief Botsa Satyanarayana hitting the road. In their campaign speeches, they were refuting the allegations of YSRCP and launching counter offensive. The PCC Chief went to the extent of hinting at YSR family hand in his death.

There are apprehensions among the Congress and Telugu Desam leaders that the arrest of Jagan might be counter-productive and together with the campaigning of Vijayamma and Sharmila, situation might turn in favor of YSRCP. But for the record they dismiss all the talk of sympathy wave and say that people will not support corruption.