The Hindu : Front Page : Campaign ends; parties await D-day

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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Campaign ends; parties await D-day

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

TIME FOR A BREAK: A CPI (M) worker takes a nap after a hectic campaign which came to an end in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: Political parties are waiting with bated breath to watch voters deliver their verdict in the May 29 byelections to 18 Assembly and four Lok Sabha seats even as curtains came down on campaigning on Tuesday.

The campaign was by and large peaceful and the leaders and cadre of three major political parties -- Congress, Telugu Desam and Telangana Rashtra Samiti -- spared no effort to seek the support of the people. The bypoll for 17 seats in Telangana region was projected as “now or never” by TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao for achieving separate statehood and it turned into a prestigious issue for the Congress that is banking on “development plank” as well as the TDP that held sway in a majority of constituencies before losing out to TRS.

The 15-day campaign was, however, without the usual euphoria associated with the polls thanks to the stringent implementation of the model code of conduct by the Election Commission. So strict was the EC’s monitoring of the poll process that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Opposition leader N. Chandrababu Naidu and five Cabinet Ministers received notices for alleged poll code violation.

Oppressive heat wave condition, effective implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the areas going to polls and the lack of enthusiasm among the parties and candidates in spending huge amounts for a tenure of less than a year are said to be the other reasons for the low-key campaign.

The Chief Minister led the Congress from the front by undertaking whirlwind tours to the constituencies asking voters to support the Congress on the strength of development initiatives launched by his government. Mr. Naidu focussed his energies on “all pervasive corruption” during the Congress regime resulting in “untold miseries” to all sections. Separate Telangana was the sole agenda for TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao whose party is banking on the “Telangana sentiment” prevailing across the region. Mr. Rao, who commenced his road shows much ahead of the commencement of the election process, left no stone unturned to convince voters that the “course of separate State will depend on your verdict”.

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