TRS completes grand sweep, TD loses all deposits, Congress in 4 seats

(Courtesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/trs-completes-grand-sweep-td-loses-all-deposits-congress-4-seats-413)

It was a landslide victory for the Telangana Rashtra Samiti candidates in 11 out of 12 Assembly constituencies that went for by-polls in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on July 27. The 12th seat, Nizamabad-Urban, went to the TRS' ally, the BJP.

By early morning on Saturday when the results were announced at the end of a lengthy counting process that began on Friday, some of the TRS victors set new records in the state's electoral history.

For the first time in its political history, the Telugu Desam had to forfeit deposits in all the 12 Assembly segments while ruling Congress met with the same fate in four constituencies.

In Siddipet in Medak district, T. Harish Rao, nephew of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, set a new record by winning the by-election with a margin of 95,858 votes against his Congress rival Srinivas Goud. The Congress as well as the TDP, which stood third here, lost the deposits.

Harish Rao won from Siddipet for fourth consecutive time. his victory margin is said to be by far the largest margin ever recorded in the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.

Interestingly, the Medak district administration, led by collector S. Suresh Kumar, also set a record by completing the counting process in just over 90 minutes.

TRS candidate Gaddam Aravinda Reddy retained his Mancherial seat in Adilabad district with a record margin of 78,047 votes as against 13,827 he got in 2009.

Reddy's victory margin is the second largest after Harish Rao's in the bypolls. The Congress lost its deposit in Mancherial as well.

Koppula Easwar, another notable TRS candidate, improved his victory margin from modest 1,484 votes in 2009 to a staggering 58,891 to bag the Dharmapuri seat in Karimnagar district.

TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao's son K. Taraka Rama Rao secured a handsome margin of 44,642 votes in the by-election from Sircilla.

It is a sweet victory for Rama Rao this time in more ways than one as he scraped through with a margin of just 173 votes against the TRS rebel candidate K.K. Mahender Reddy in his first electoral battle in 2009.

Mahender Reddy was the Congress' official nominee this time but lost his deposit following the bitter defeat.

TRS' Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar saw his victory margin in Warangal West constituency swell ten-fold from 6,684 last year to 67,524 this time.

Similarly, the victory margins of E. Rajender and K. Vidyasagar Rao have more than tripled in Huzurabad and Korutla Assembly segments as compared to the 2009 general elections.

Rajender secured a majority of 55,360 votes this time compared to 15,035 while Vidyasagar Rao got 56,525 now as against 15,545 in 2009.

The Vemulawada (Karimnagar district) TRS nominee Chennamaneni Ramesh too put up an impressive show, romping home with a margin of 50,451 votes this time.

As the TD candidate in 2009, Ramesh had managed to get a majority of only 1,821 votes. Upon quitting his MLA seat on the statehood issue in February this year, Ramesh walked out of the TD and joined the TRS.

An intervention by the High Court, by-election to this seat was conducted along with other segments, paved the way for Ramesh's re-election.

In Chennur (SC) in Adilabad district, TRS candidate N. Odelu won by a margin of 44,284 votes — almost four times higher than the margin (11,549) he secured in 2009.

The TRS nominee Kaveti Sammaiah too doubled his margin from 7,414 in 2009 to 15,229 now. He beat Congress' ex-MP Indrakaran Reddy who aspired to become a Cabinet minister by winning the by-election.

Another TRS candidate. E. Ravinder Reddy, was, however, not so fortunate as he could improve his victory margin only by a few hundred votes this time. Compared to the 36,859-vote margin he got in 2009, Rajender managed to take it up only to 37,535 in this time.

The results of the five constituencies came late, as ballot papers were used for polling as a number of candidates exceeded the maximum limit of 64 for an EVM.

For Y. Lakshminarayana, the lone BJP winner in the by-elections who trounced Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas in Nizamabad Urban, it was an improvement of only 966 votes in the victory margin. In 2009, Lakshminarayana won by a margin of 11,015 votes and this time by 11,981 votes.

The by-polls were necessitated as the sitting MLAs - 10 from TRS and one each from TD and BJP - had quit their post in support of separate Telangana demand.

Telangana by-poll results trigger rumblings in Congress, TDP

(Courtesy : http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/telangana-by-poll-results-trigger-rumblings-in-congress-tdp_100404613.html)

The crushing defeat of the ruling Congress party and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the Telangana by-elections has triggered rumblings within the two parties over the Telangana statehood issue.
Leaders of the Congress from Telangana blamed their counterparts in other regions of Andhra Pradesh for the loss, while TDP leaders from Telangana advised those opposing separate statehood to reconsider their stand.

Both Congress and TDP drew a blank in the by-elections to 12 assembly seats caused by the resignations over the Telangana issue.

TDP lost the lone seat it was holding while Congress candidates, including party’s state unit chief D. Srinivas had to bite the dust.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who is from outside Telangana, said he respects the people’s verdict. Party general secretary and state incharge M. Veerappa Moily said in New Delhi that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won due to “local factors”.

Congress leaders from Telangana lashed out at party leaders belonging to Andhra and Rayalaseema regions for opposing the demand for a separate Telangana state.

Senior Congress leader from Telangana and former minister G. Venkatswamy blamed leaders from Andhra for the party’s defeat.

Another leader from the region T. Jeevan Reddy termed the poll results an “eye opener” for those opposing the separate Telangana demand.

Congress legislator Shankar Rao said he was happy over the election results as people, through their verdict, paid tributes to 600 “martyrs” of the Telangana movement. He said the results had increased the responsibility of the Congress party to carve out a separate Telangana.

TDP’s senior leader in Telangana N. Janardhan Reddy wanted his party leaders from other regions to reconsider their opposition to a separate state.

It may be recalled that strong protests by Congress and TDP leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions had forced the central government to go back on its announcement last year to start the process for formation of Telangana state.

Record win for Harish Rao

(Courtesy : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Record-win-for-Harish-Rao/articleshow/6239112.cms)

He did not speak much. But his humungous vote margin said it all. Tenneeru Harish Rao, who recorded a massive victory of 95,858 votes, flashed the victory sign at Siddipet with a smug expression on his face while supporters around him raised slogans of "Jai ho Telangana."

As his supporters shouted slogans of "Telangana ki addu voste, addamga narikestham (Nobody dare cross our path to Telangana)" and savoured his stupendous victory, Harish Rao just walked away. For starters, Harish has dethroned late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's record win of 68,681 votes from Pulivendula in 2009 polls by overtaking it by nearly 30,000 votes. He himself stood a close second behind YSR with 64,667 vote majority in 2009.

While he polled 1,08,779 votes, his nearest Congress rival T Srinivas Goud received 11,610 votes. TDP's Babu Mohan was thrashed as he got a paltry 5,258 votes.

Revelling in the victory, Harish said TRS stood out as the true representative of Telangana cause. "With this win, we will take the T-vadam (sentiment) forward," he said. He said the Congress line that it would onlydeliver the separate state had no takers. "The Congress must introspect as people are fed up with its false promises," he observed.

A close aide of the firebrand leader, who is perceived as a threat to the likes of TRS chief KCR's son K Tarakarama Rao, said the upsurge of people's emotions had triggered the results in favour of TRS. "Whether it's a doctor, government official, tailor or weaver, they all voted for our Harish anna and T-cause. This victory signals the dawn of a new world," he claimed.

Analysts said the way Harish rallied the party and called on the families of those who died or committed suicide for T-cause was worth mentioning. "Even settlers in villages and towns voted for TRS as they perceive Telangana as their home. The sentiment has percolated among every strata of society," TRS leader Rajaiah Yadav told TOI.

Sources said the coming local body polls would certainly add to the consolidation of TRS in the region as the party used it as a launchpad to make inroads in the region eight years ago. And Harish sure has his task cut out.