On the eve of the D-Day for 2014 General Elections on Thursday, notwithstanding the results of local elections, political parties are optimistic of a favourable outcome.
The main contenders — TDP and YSRCP — are tempering their views in the light of the results of municipal and ZPTC/MPTC elections. Interest also centres round the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat where YSRCP honorary president Y S Vijayamma and Andhra Pradesh BJP president K. Haribabu are locked in a contest.
The TDP, having done well in both elections, has high expectations. The YSRCP, however, does not see the results as much of an indicator saying the party’s focus was more on the Assembly elections in which the party urged electorate to vote for Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as Chief Minister.
A former minister from TDP played safe saying “We will win a majority of the seats.” But even TDP leaders are not sure of winning Araku and Paderu Assembly constituencies. At Araku, TDP rebel and former MLA Kumba Ravibabu is also in the reckoning.
Leaders of both parties agree that former ministers — Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and Ganta Srinivasa Rao — will romp home .
Another former minister and TDP leader says it will win nine of the 15 Assembly constituencies.
YSRCP leaders admit that at Gajuwaka and Visakhapatnam East what was seen as an easy contest turned out to be keen. But it sees cross-voting in favour of Ms. Vijayamma. “We initially expected a majority of one lakh but now it will be reduced,” a leader said.
But TDP-BJP combine says the debate on “local vs non-local” percolated to the masses and the voter discontent in electing non-locals in 2004 and 2009 would recoil against Ms. Vijayamma.
At Anakapalle too, TDP sees its nominee for Lok Sabha Muttamsetti (Avanthi) Srinivasa Rao winning overcoming initial hiccups. The victory margins of leaders like Mr Ayyanna Patrudu and Mr Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and the party doing well in some other constituencies is expected to help him win. Young Gudivada Amarnath, son of late minister Gurunatha Rao, is pitted against the educationist.
The YSRCP has high hopes on its nominee Kottapalli Gita, a former RDO, and expects her to win from Araku (ST) Lok Sabha from where Union Minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo is contesting. Even the ZPTC/MPTC results went in favour of that party.
But TDP sees a surge in favour of its candidate G. Sandhya Rani attributing it to the influence of party leader Vijayarama Raju in three constituencies in Vizianagaram district.
