Party’s performance in Telangana region comes as a bonus
Anti-incumbency factor worked against several candidates
HYDERABAD: Trust and trust alone in Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy tilted the scales in favour of the ruling Congress which retained power though with reduced majority.
In the triangular contest, Congress, after an initial neck and neck race with the grand alliance, crossed the magic half-way figure of 147 Assembly seats even as the party virtually staged a one-man-show in Lok Sabha seats.
The final results clearly showed voters belief in Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy for fulfilling the promises that helped the party upstage its rivals. Congress successfully neutralised the separate Telangana slogan as well as the populist promises made by the grand alliance and the Praja Rajyam.
Dr. Reddy, who was the visible face of the Congress in the election campaign went to the extent of owing moral responsibility for the victory or defeat in the do or die elections. Party leaders credited Dr. Reddy with single-handedly bringing the party back to power a rare achievement after 1982.
Surprise packageParty did equally well in all the three regions. Leaders are equally astonished at party’s performance in Telangana, where it won 50 seats against the formidable TDP led grand alliance.
However, several stalwarts like APCC chief D. Srinivas, Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy and Ministers from the region bit the dust.
A senior APCC functionary attributed the party’s credible performance in Telangana to the lack of credibility of the TDP and the frequent ‘drama’ enacted by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the statehood issue.
Vote for developmentA senior legislator said the welfare and developmental programmes initiated in the last five years fructified. “Voters must have thought that the welfare and developmental programmes should continue,” the MLA remarked. Congress leaders said the credibility of the TDP stood exposed as the populist Cash Transfer Scheme and free colour televisions did not cut ice with the voters.
Leaders conceded that the anti-incumbency factor against several candidates denied Congress improving on its tally of 2004.
“While Dr. Reddy enjoyed lot of good will, the displeasure with the local candidates was reflected in the verdict. Or why else would the party win an overwhelming number of seats in the Lok Sabha and not do equally well in the Assembly,” they wondered.
Leaders also maintained that the Chief Minister’s remark that people from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions would have to obtain visas to stay in Hyderabad if Telangana State was created under the Grand Alliance regime appears to have caught the attention of the voters in the two regions.
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