The results of the Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections seems to have an impact on the Telugu Desasm Party (TDP)- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ties in the days come with both the camps planning to complain against the other to their respective headquarters.
Though the combine won 35 of the 48 seats in the civic body, it is interesting to note that none of them is happy with the outcome. Post-verdict, the TDP was of the view that it would have won at least five more seats if there was no alliance, while the BJP believes that it lost three seats only because of the poll strategy adopted by the TDP.
Of the 48 divisions to which the election was held, the TDP fielded its candidates from 39 divisions and won 32 of them. Nine divisions were allocated to the BJP, in which it won three seats. A senior leader from the TDP felt that there would have been a “maximum edge” for the TDP, had it fielded candidates from all the divisions. “The BJP district unit president contested from one division and lost to the YSRCP. This is the sorry state of affairs in the party here. The alliance is nothing but a liability levied on the TDP,” said the leader, on the condition of anonymity.
The TDP deployed at least half a dozen Ministers and dozens of MLAs, besides the third rung leaders and representatives of its front organisations for campaign. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu camped in the city for two days and participated in over a dozen road shows. “There was no rigorous campaign from the BJP side. In fact, one of its leader’s defamatory remarks had an adverse impact on one section of voters and made a dent to our votes,” another TDP leader pointed out.
The BJP, on the other hand, was accusing the TDP of not providing enough support to its candidates. Of the six seats it lost, three were won by independent candidates, who were rebels of the TDP. “Instead of supporting the BJP candidates, a few TDP leaders lent their support to the rebel candidates. We have lost those seats just because of the TDP’s internal politics,” a BJP leader close to the leadership said. “Our leadership is monitoring the developments from close quarters, based on which it will take decisions on poll alliances in the future,” the leader said.
