As the May 16 deadline for counting of votes polled for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections draws closer, the Telugu Desam Party is confident of securing a majority and forming a government in Seemandhra region.
The TDP sees a wave in its favour as is evident from the voting pattern in municipalities and local bodies. The party which beat expectations and scored victories in the municipal and local body elections is hopeful of repeating the performance in Assembly and Lok Sabha polls too. “The TDP has beaten the expectations and stood ahead of its rivals in the two elections. This is sure to be a precursor to the party’s performance in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls,” TDP MP K. Ramamohan Rao said.
Mr. Rao said the party could effectively take its campaign that the just concluded election was a battle between development and corruption to the people. Voters trusted the party’s promises on loan waiver and BC declaration, among others in exercising their franchise, he said adding the party could bag over 70 per cent municipalities and 60 per cent MPTCs/ZPTCs.
Alliance with BJPCoupled with the party’s manifesto that had gone well with the people, the overwhelming response to the party’s alliance with the BJP and campaign by film star-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan would go a long way in securing comfortable leads to the party after the counting for general elections was completed. “People did not believe in YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy. The feeling that a vote cast for the YSR Congress would indirectly benefit the Congress has helped the TDP,” he said.
Another senior leader E. Peddi Reddy said there was a mixed response to the party in Telangana region following the efforts of the TRS to convince the people that the TDP opposed bifurcation. The TRS in fact wanted bifurcation after elections, but resorted to campaign against the TDP after the bifurcation process was completed.
He recalled TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s comments appreciating Mr. Jagan and said the party had doubts on whether it could form the government in Telangana. “Even if the TRS forms the government, it will not be a surprise to see elections in Telangana in less than a year,” he said.