Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu on Wednesday expressed his anguish at the party leaders for failing to convince a rebel candidate to withdraw from the contest after TD candidate lost the East-West Godavari District Teacher constituency.
Mr Naidu pointed out that the East-West Godavari districts had contributed to the party’s victory last year, and he could not digest this defeat within nine months.
However, TD candidate A.S. Ramakrishna defeated Left-supported Progressive Democratic Front candidate Laxmana Rao to win the Krishna-Guntur Teachers’ Constituency by bagging the required 50 per cent plus votes in the first preferential votes.
TD candidate A.S. Ramakrishna flashes victory sign after winning Krishna-Guntur Teachers’ Constituency. (Photo: DC)
The election of BJP’s N. Ramachandra Rao, who was supported by TD and other parties in the Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar graduates’ constituency came as a setback to the TRS.
There are four ministers from the city and three from Ranga Reddy district. Almost the entire Cabinet had campaigned for TRS candidate G. Devi Prasada Rao. Mr Prasada Rao was president of the Telangana NGOs, who formed a major chunk of the electorate for the polls.
The party had triumphed in the Medak Lok Sabha bypolls and the SCB elections. However, despite its victory in the 2014 elections, it had won only three out of 23 Assembly seats in the GHMC area.
The defeat of the TRS will further strengthen the TD-BJP combine in the urban-dominated Hyderabad-RR districts; it had won most of the Assembly seats in the city.
Left-supported UTF candidate Rama Surya Rao celebrates with supporters after winning of East-West Godavari District Teacher constituency. (Photo: DC)
The TRS’ plan to showcase victory in the MLC polls for the ensuing Sanathnagar Assembly bypoll and the GHMC elections also suffered a setback. The selection of Mr Devi Prasada Rao, who was considered a weak candidate, at the last moment is said to be one of the reasons for the defeat.
The BJP nominated Mr Ramachandra Rao several months before the polls. He also took much pain in getting several thousands enrolled as voters.
Besides, the support from Seemandhra employees was a big factor.
When reports last came in, Mr Ramachandra Rao was leading by over 12,000 votes over Mr Prasad Rao who conceded defeat.
Mr Prasad Rao said it was not the defeat of the TRS or the government, all the other parties including the Congress had ganged up to defeat him. He said Mr Ramachandra Rao also had the sympathy, having lost twice before. He said his defeat cannot be called a referendum on the TRS government’s performance.
“There are 20 lakh graduates in three districts, but only three lakh registered as voters and only 1,11,000 participated in polling. Of this nearly 10,000 votes were invalid. How can we call it a referendum,” he said.
He said his victory was anticipated, and that the voters had decided to give a shock to CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his “autocratic behaviour”. “It is time for Mr Rao to be cautious and administer the state more democratically. It is a warning for him,” he said.
