Hyderabad: With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for general and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, parties in the soon-to-be-divided state have got into poll mode hitting the campaign trail in right earnest.
Though the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh, paving way for formation of separate Telangana state, has already been gazetted, the elections will be held for the undivided state on April 30 and May 7. The main opposition TDP and YSR Congress, projected to be front-runners in Seemandhra, are ahead of others in kicking off electioneering.
TDP has attracted the highest number of leaders in Seemandhra, mainly from Congress, which is believed to be staring at a humiliating defeat at the hustings. Former ministers G Srinivasa Rao, T G Venkatesh, E Pratap Reddy and MLAs B Satyananda Rao, Adala Prabhakar Reddy and Sridhar Krishna Reddy are among Congress leaders who have either switched over to TDP in recent times or in the process of doing so soon.
Several other heavyweight Congress leaders are also expected to join the TDP in the days to come. TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu has been addressing 'Praja Garjana' (roar of people) meetings at different places Seemandhra, seeking to showcase his development agenda.
YSRC president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has been touring the state for long, earlier in support of united Andhra Pradesh, and now in the run-up to the elections. Former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao and other Congress leaders have joined YSRC much ahead of elections.
The beleaguered ruling Congress, being projected by Opposition parties as villain of the piece for its determined push for the division, is said to be mulling constituting two separate PCCs for Telangana and new Andhra Pradesh.
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, a key member of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on division, has toured Seemandhra and also Telangana in the last one week trying to allay the fears of Seemandhra over bifurcation.
Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu has also held public meetings in Seemandhra since the passage of Telangana bill in Parliament on the themes of "Modi for PM" and on the efforts made by his party to secure a development package for the region.
A late entrant into the fray, former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who resigned as Chief Minister protesting the State's division on February 19, has announced his decision to form a new political party at a public meeting to be held at Rajahmundry on March 12.
In Telangana region, TRS is on a high following the passage of the bill for formation of separate state and it has ruled out merger with Congress and even refused to commit to an alliance with the national party. At least four TDP MLAs have joined TRS since the passage of the bill and the party plans to undertake a massive campaigning for the elections.
Leaders of the ruling Congress have taken out rallies in the region to thank party president Sonia Gandhi for getting the Telangana Bill passed in spite of "tremendous obstacles".
TDP, trying to cope with the competition from TRS and Congress, has promised to ensure social justice in Telangana, which had seen the domination of feudal landlords. BJP is trying to gain foothold in Telangana having consistently supported the separate statehood demand..
