Jagan’s margin of win may be eclipsed in Nandigama
Tangirala Soumya(Left) is banking on lack of any real opposition while B. Babu Rao (Right)is hoping that the hardcore YSR Congress supporters would have cast their votes for him
Vijayawada: The Telugu Desam is confident that it will win the Nandigama byelection by a record margin. Votes were polled for the bypoll necessitated by the demise of sitting MLA Tangirala Prabha-kar Rao, who had been elected for the second time by a margin of 4,000 votes. The TD filed Rao’s daughter Tangirala Soumya as its candidate. The TD leadership believes that with the decision by the main opposition party, the YSR Congress, not to contest the byelection following the tradition of supporting the kin of a deceased legislator.
Ms Soumya’s main rival was Congress candidate B. Babu Rao, who contested the bypoll along with two Independents. The Congress decided to contest despite its candidate in the 2014 general election V. Parameswara Rao getting only 1998 votes. The state bifurcation decision has eroded the Congress’ base to such an extent that the party leadership failed to even appoint polling agents in 15 villages. However, the Congress had hoped that hardcore supporters of the YSR Congress would cast their votes for its candidate.
Now that the votes are locked away in EVMs, political circles are waiting to see if the Congress’ gamble pays off and it manages to net some YSRC vote. Ms Soumya’s margin of victory depends on the performance of the Congress candidate. While Ms Soumya herself is confident of victory, the TD leadership foresees a record margin. “People will never forget her father’s services and also Chan-drababu Naidu’s leadership,” the say.
As many as 1,27,906 votes were polled in the byelection. In 2014 assembly elections, YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy won with a margin of 75,243 votes, TD legislator V. Ramakrishna Babu by 47,883 votes and TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu by a margin of 47,121 votes. Bode Prasad won by a margin of 33,000 votes, the highest in Krishna district. Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao on Sunday said that Ms Soumya would go on to break all the records.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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