TD has been banking on CPI and CPM for support
With the TRS, Congress and the TD engaged in scripting strategies to ensure victory of their MLC candidates, it has became a prestige issue for archrivals TRS and TD to settle scores before the second anniversary of the state's bifurcation on June 2.
Hyderabad: With the TRS, Congress and the TD engaged in scripting strategies to ensure victory of their MLC candidates, it has became a prestige issue for archrivals TRS and TD to settle scores before the second anniversary of the state’s bifurcation on June 2. Chief Ministers K. Chandrasekhar Rao and N. Chandrababu Naidu are out to prove one-upmanship in the elections.
With seven nominees in the fray for six MLC seats from MLAs quota, it is certain that one candidate will lose. However, that will be known only at the end of counting of votes on June 1. Major irrigation minister T. Harish Rao was made in-charge to ensure victory of all five TRS nominees whereas Revanth Reddy, who was responsible for selecting Vem Narender Reddy as the TD candidate was made in-charge by TD president Chandrababu Naidu. The purpose behind the TRS putting an additional candidate was the CM’s decision to wipe out the TD from the TS Council. This has made the TD chief taking up the poll as a challenge.
The TD has 16 MLAs (including five from the BJP), just two short of winning the first round of counting. It is banking on support from the CPI and CPM which has one MLA each besides expecting second preference votes from the Congress and other parties. It is also hoping to win with 16 votes after the mandatory elimination process in the counting of votes. The TRS strategy includes getting support of more MLAs, taking advantage of second preference votes from other parties, bringing changes in allotment of first preference votes adjusted among five nominees etc. Since the TRS has five nominees, it wanted to allot 18 votes to few candidates and 17 or 16 to other candidates.
However, Congress managers are busy scripting strategies to ensure the victory of party nominee Akula Lalitha. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh held discussions in Delhi on Saturday with TPCC leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy, K. Jana Reddy and Shabbir Ali. Unconfirmed reports say that the Congress has even prepared to strike a deal with the TRS for exchanging second preference votes among the two parties to defeat the TD nominee.
( Source : dc )
Next Story
