Jolt to Opposition; hopes over anti-incumbency against YSRC dashed

Nellore: Going by the huge margin of 82,888 votes secured by the ruling YSR Congress nominee Mekapati Vikram Reddy against his nearest BJP rival in the Atmakur assembly by-poll, the opposition claims of an “anti-incumbency factor” working against the YSRC government proved to be hollow.

YSR Congress nominee in the 2019 general elections, Mekapati Goutham Reddy had polled 92,578 votes. His brother Vikram Reddy now secured more -- 1,02,241 votes – meaning, in the minimum, the YSR Congress vote share remained intact.

There existed a sizable vote bank for TD in Atmakur and the party had secured 70,482 votes in 2019 elections. An assumption was that no TD segment would cast its votes for the YSR Congress even in a scenario in which the TD did not put up a candidate.

“Since we are not in the contest and there was no direction from the party, most TD voters remained at home and some went and voted for NOTA or to the BJP,” a TD leader said pointing to 4182 votes polled for NOTA and 19,353 votes that went to the BJP in the by-poll.

He pointed out that only 2314 votes had been polled for the BJP candidate in the 2019 elections.

However, BJP leaders claimed the major increase in their vote share reflecting the growing support to the party. BJP had brought in leaders like its national secretary and co-in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, Sunil Deodhar, senior leaders Purandheswari, Satya Kumar, GVL Narasimha Rao, MLCs Madhav and Vakati Narayana Reddy for the campaign.

Vakati Narayana Reddy, in a statement on Sunday, said, “Sympathy wave, use of money and power led to the victory of the YSRC in Atmakur. The result will be different in the next elections.”

Referring to the 19,352 votes BJP nominee Bharat Kumar got this time as against 2314 votes for its candidate in the 2019 elections, Narayana Reddy said this has boosted the morale of the saffron party.