Lot at stake for main parties in Huzurnagar bypoll

Result may well have its impact on the ongoing RTC strike and any shock to the ruling party will psychologically strengthen the employees

TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Congress Member of Parliament A. Revanth Reddy campaigning for Huzurnagar Assembly bypoll.

With the EVM machines of Huzurnagar election all set to be unpacked on Thursday morning, the election may finally declare just one winner on paper but the result has lots of stakes for the political parties and perhaps Telangana itself.

The Telangana Congress sees it as a booster for its cadre, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) will consider the win as an endorsement of all the decisions of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pinning its hopes for a decent performance to continue its growth.

The result may well have its impact on the ongoing RTC employees strike. Any shock to the ruling party will psychologically strengthen the employees and the TRS’s win may demoralise the strike a bit.

The margin of the victory or defeat will be a crucial factor too in these times when Chief Minister has taken a strong stand on the strike. TPCC chief and Nalgonda Member of Parliament N. Uttam Kumar Reddy will consolidate his position in the party and also at the high command if his wife and party candidate, Uttam Padmavathi, makes it through. Party seniors agree that win will be a morale booster for the party that is badly hit by the desertions to the ruling party.

“We will at least be confident that she will not jump to the ruling party,” said a senior leader revealing how the party is unable to stop defections at all levels.

TPCC working president Revanth Reddy will also claim share in the cake given the response to his meetings in the elections. He will certainly emerge as big winner if the Congress wins.

If the TRS loses, as is being wished by those strongly opposing Mr. Rao, it will be attributed to the Chief Minister’s style of functioning and beginning of TRS downfall. For the next few months they will put the ruling party on defence and may well extend the pressure till the municipal elections.

“We know the loss will not affect the Chief Minister’s style of administration but a win will surely make him stronger,” a Congress leader agreed.

The exit polls reveal advantage for the ruling party and this will up the stakes of TRS general secretary Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, the party in-charge for the election. More so, when Mr. Rao stayed away from campaign and party working president, K.T. Rama Rao limiting his campaign to just one visit.

The BJP leaders believe Congress win will not affect their future in the State unlike the TRS win.