The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) continued its sway over the Medak parliamentary constituency by winning the September 13 byelection by a huge margin of 3,61,277 votes.
Medak parliamentary constituency Returning Officer and District Collector Rahul Bojja declared the result as counting ended after 22 rounds. TRS candidate Kotha Prabhakar Reddy trounced his nearest Congress rival and former Minister V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy. The BJP-TDP combine candidate Toorpu Jayaprakash Reddy, came a poor third.
Mr. Prabhakar Reddy got 5, 71, 800 while the Congress nominee was way behind with 2,10,523 votes and the BJP, 1,86,334 votes. Right from the first round, the TRS nominee maintain an unassailable lead over the two rivals in all the seven assembly segments – Sangareddy, Patancheru, Narsapur, Medak, Siddipet, Dubbak and Gajwel (represented by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao).
With each passing round, Mr. Prabhakar Reddy, an influential transport company owner’s, lead swelled in every segment. The outcome not only enthused Mr. Prabhakar Reddy, who fought his maiden election but the rank and file of the TRS. The party had taken the election as a prestige issue after the Congress and the BJP-TDP combine fielded fairly seasoned politicians.
By-poll was necessitated following resignation of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao consequent to his taking over as the Chief Minister of Telangana State on June 2. He had won the Assembly election from Gajwel assembly segment as well as Medak LS seat. In the general elections, Mr. Rao had won with a majority of 3.92 lakh votes. He polled 6.57,492 votes against his nearest rival P.Sravan Kumar Reddy (2,60,463) and BJP’s Ch. Narendranath (1,81,177).
Although, the margin of victory was less compared to that of Mr. Rao, TRS leadership attributed it to the lower turn out. While the polling per centage in the general election was 77 per cent it declined to 67.45 per cent in the by-poll held on September 13.
TRS had gone to the voters projecting the Congress and the BJP-TDP candidates as opposed to the creation of separate Telangana State. The party in particular targeting the BJP nominee Jayaprakash Reddy, whose animosity against TRS and its pro-statehood stand, was well known. Incidentally, Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy had won his first assembly election on TRS ticket in 2004.
Congress and the BJP-TDP candidates made a vain bid to target the TRS Government's 100 days in office and exposing its failure to fulfil one single poll promise. However, the voters continued their loyalty towards the TRS, which is still seen as the party that had achieved Telangana for them.
Speaking to reporters after the declaration of results, Mr. Prabhakar Reddy said he would strive hard to achieve the dream of rebuilding Telangana State. Celebrations broke out in Hyderabad and across Telangana districts with TRS cadres bursting crackers and distributing sweets.
Earlier report: >TRS wins Medak Lok Sabha seat
