Money power of parties and the sympathy factor for YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, now in jail, will be on test on Tuesday when 46.13 lakh voters will elect 18 MLAs and one Lok Sabha member.
After the results are declared on June 15, a key issue of interest will be the question whether Jagan's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has generated enough sympathy among masses to see his party through in a majority of the seats. Or, will it be an endorsement of the law taking its course against Jagan who is facing a slew of charges ranging from corruption charge to money laundering.
His mother Vijayamma and sister Sharmila stepped into his shoes, quite successfully, going by the crowd participation in the road shows.
Crowd factor
The Congress has played down the impact of this phenomenon, saying the crowds were turning out of curiosity and not sympathy. The other major contender, the TDP, said these crowds were mobilised.
The long drawn out election campaign, which started with the formal announcement of the schedule on April 24, has been among the murkiest.
Even amidst a vituperative political discourse over the issue of corruption, parties and candidates showed no compunction in spending money. Election Watch, an independent body, has estimated that the money spent by candidates has run into hundreds of crores.
Distribution of cash to bribe voters reached a peak after campaigning ended on Saturday. Currency notes were doled out unhindered to voters in a last-minute attempt by candidates to win them over.
Apart from cash of Rs.1,000 to each voter, gold nose rings and sarees were distributed with impunity while liquor has been flowing on the sidelines of public rallies of political leaders.
