The verdict is in ballot boxes till May 16 and it gives them the vicarious pleasure of claiming victories till then.
It is open season for political party bosses in Andhra Pradesh. The verdict is in ballot boxes till May 16 and it gives them the vicarious pleasure of claiming victories till then. With a splintered vote and the possibility of a hung Assembly, a guessing game has started on who gets how many seats and who gets whose support.
In fact, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao has said he is open to ally with any party at the Centre that backs a Telangana state. The BJP has said it is willing to support the TDP should it form a government, but the TDP's chances look dim.
In 2004, the Congress had won 29 LS and 185 Assembly seats while the TRS had won five and 26 seats respectively. This time, the entry of Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party and the Lok Satta has complicated matters. On the other side, there's the Mahakutami or grand alliance set up by TDP, the TRS and the Left.
"This is the most intriguing election ever in Andhra Pradesh, with caste, money and muscle playing a major role," said Prof. Prasanna Kumar, director, Centre for Policy Studies. A high turnout is usually thought to benefit the opposition, but 70% voting this time is unlikely to benefit the grand alliance since Chiranjeevi is expected to take away at least 7% of the vote from the Congress and the TDP.
The TDP's cash transfer and free colour TV scheme has become popular with people, as have the ruling party's health insurance, free farm power and pension schemes.
The Congress could still win in coastal Andhra and Rayalseema, thanks to vote splitting by the PRP. "With PRP in the fray, it is difficult to predict the outcome," said Asadudin Owaisi, MP from MIM, a party friendly to the Congress.
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