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.

TRS scores historic victory in Telangana by-polls

(Courtesy : http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/trs-scores-historic-victory-in-telangana-by-polls_100404783.html)

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which won all 11 seats it contested in the Telangana by-elections, made history with its massive victory margins.
Riding on the popular Telangana sentiment, the party not only retained all 10 seats it won in the 2009 elections but also wrested one from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

TRS had not fielded its candidate in Nizamabad Urban where BJP’s A. Lakshminarayana once again defeated state Congress chief D. Srinivas.

Its candidates, who won last elections with a few hundreds votes, retained the seats by a bumper majority. The victory margin in most of the constituencies was anywhere between 60,000 to 95,000.

Political pundits say a candidate polling 70 to 85 percent of votes in assembly elections is unprecedented. The TRS performance reminds one of the massive victory of the Telangana Praja Samiti (TPS) in the 1971 Lok Sabha elections.

Fighting on the similar slogan, TPS had bagged 10 out of 14 seats it contested in Telangana. But even the TPS had polled 50 to 65 percent of votes.

The performance of TRS this time has been so strong that the ruling Congress finished a poor second while TDP candidates lost security deposit as they failed to get the minimum of one-sixth of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies.

TRS leader T. Harish Rao registered a record victory with a margin of 95,858 votes in Siddipet, polling 82 percent of votes. His nearest rival of the Congress could get only 12,921. Both Congress and TDP forfeited their deposits.

The second highest margin of victory for TRS was in Huzurabad where its former leader in assembly E. Rajender retained the seat with a majority of 79,227 votes. The margin was 78,047 in Manchiryal constituency.

Since ballot papers were used for Tuesday’s polling in five constituencies, the results were announced after Friday midnight.

TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao’s son K. Tarakarama Rao, who won last election with a margin of 171 in Sircilla, this time defeated his rival by 67,997 votes.

In Warangal West, D. Vinaybhaskar was re-elected with a majority of 67,809 votes. Former minister and Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir was defeated in Yellareddy by TRS candidate A. Ravinder Reddy by 37,535 votes.

TRS also retained Korutla seat with a victory margin of 56,525 votes.

The Congress could put up some face-saving performance only in Nizamabad where the BJP candidate’s victory margin was only 11,981 votes. It also gave a good fight to TRS in Sirpur.

In its worst ever performance, TDP lost security deposits in all constituencies.

The by-elections were necessitated by the resignation of all 10 legislators of the TRS and one each of the BJP and the TDP on the issue of a separate Telangana state in February.

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.