With polling over the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana, all the three principal parties – the TRS, Cong and BJP – are staking claims of verdict will was in their favor, notwithstanding the poor turnout.
As usual, the TRS is jubilant mood and the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, claimed as expected the party is bagging all the 16 seats and also congratulated good work done by the ministers drafted for the poll duties and success of party nominees.
But, insiders within the wary over party chief’s claim. “We may have to concede some seats to Opposition. How many, it may be difficult to say of now? Many of us fear and pray the figure should not be single digit,” was the confession of some hardcore party workers.
Contrary to this, the Congress and BJP looks more than confident of putting up better performance than the December assembly polls, where they almost got a drubbing.
Senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity said that the party can easily win 3-4 seats, while we have given tough fight to the TRS in another 4-5, where anything may happen.
The BJP too feels that it will not only retain the Secunderabad, where its former state party chief G Kishen Reddy, is locked in a triangular context with the TRS and Congress, and also in spite of lowest voter turnout. “Lowest voter turnout is going to favor us this time as only those who wanted to vote and strengthen Modi’s hands have come out and voted, especially the middle class,” claimed the state party chief K Laxman.
While, the BJP is confident of winning at least all three, if not two from Secunderabad, Karimnagar and Mahabubnagar, the Congress is oozing with confidence to win four comfortably and they are Nalgonda, where the party chief Capt Uttam Kumar Reddy is the candidate, Renuka Choudhary from Khammam, Konda Visveshwar Reddy from Chevella and Komati Venkatreddy from Bhongir.
In Khammam, the BJP sees an outside chance, since the ruling TRS left no stone unturned, including the last minute success by the party nominee Kavitha’s father and chief minister KCR roping in the former TDP heavyweight Mandava Venkateswara Rao.
“Had that not happen, our candidate D Aravind, had a clear chance of winning the polls. Still, who knows, the settlers, who are more politically aware, will opt for other than ruling party. In such a scenario, our candidate Arvind may create a surprise,” said another senior BJP leader.
For KCR and party, the Nizamabad seat is most prestigious and they cannot afford to lose. For some reason, if they lose, then fissures within the party cannot be ruled out.