Congress, TDP not excited over heavy polling

Hyderabad: For the record, leaders of all the principal contending parties in the just concluded by-elections, the Congress, Telugu Desam and YSR Congress, maintain that the heavy turnout of voters was a good omen for their respective parties.

They confidently say that their candidates would coast to victory in the majority of constituencies. However, in private conversations, they admit that the going is very tough. The tension and anxiety among the leaders of all the contending parties is palpable.

The Telugu Desam leaders claim that their candidates would win at least in four constituencies, Payakaraopeta, Prattipadu, Macherla and Anantapur. They have good chances of victory in another two constituencies, Rayadurgam and Yemmiganur.

They are confident that the voters who are fed up with non-governance of Congress leading to sky rocketing of the prices of essential commodities making their lives miserable.

The educated middle class voters are furious with the looting of public resources by Jaganmohan Reddy during the tenure of his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as Chief Minister.

They have come out in droves and voted for the TDP as their leader Chandrababu Naidu raised his voice against corruption and supporting the anti-corruption crusade of Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev. All these factors favour their party candidates, they aver.

But in private conversations the Telugu Desam leaders are apprehensive of the effect of the high turnout of women voters. They grudgingly admit that the campaign tours of Vijayamma and Sharmila in the aftermath of Jagan's arrest swayed the emotions of women and they might have come out in large numbers to sympathize with them.

A leader who does not want to be named said 'the Congress which was hesitant in the beginning, sharpened its attack on Jagan and his alleged corruption during the course of campaign, attracting a section of the middle class voters towards it which otherwise would have voted en masse to Telugu Desam.' Now the TDP is sure of getting a couple of seats and give good fight in another couple of seats.

The Congress which faltered in the beginning is now sure that it would at least win five seats and would give good fight in another couple of seats. According to the party sources, they are sure of winning in Narasannapet, Ramachandrapuram, Narasapuram, Tirupati and Polavaram seats.

They would come second in the rest of the seats. The Congress leaders claim that their aggressive campaign paid rich dividends and the voters are convinced of their sincerely.

Since, the Telugu Desam Chief Chandrababu Naidu has credibility gap among the public, the voters would veering to their side.

Notwithstanding the public bravado, the Congress sources say they are pinning their hopes on three seats, Ramachandrapuram, Narasapuram and Tirupati and hope to win these seats.

The YSR Congress Party leaders jubilantly claim that they would sweep the by-elections and win at least 17 seats. The arrest of Jaganmohan Reddy and the campaign of Vijayamma and Sharmila in its aftermath have generated a huge sympathy wave in their favour and all the other parties would be swept aside.

Huge turnout of women and young voters augured well for them. They claim that in Parakal also they have good chances of winning but sure to come second. Notwithstanding their bravado, they admit that they faced uphill task in Ramachandrapuram, Narasapuram and Tirupati constituencies.

They are sure of winning at least in 14 constituencies but the tally may go up to 16 if their calculations are proved correct in Narasapuram and Ramachandrapuram constituencies. They concede that they would lose in Tirupati and Parkal constituencies to Congress and TRS respectively.