VV Balakrishna Express News Service - POLAVARAM (WG)
10th June 2012 11:26 AM
The strategic blunder committed by the ruling Congress in fielding its candidate is helping the YSR Congress Party in the Polavaram Assembly constituency which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
When compared to other constituencies in the two Godavari districts, the Jagan factor is uppermost here. Tribal and backward class people, who benefited most during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s regime under various welfare schemes including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), are supporting YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Tribal youths were chanting “Jagan”.
Kumar, a school student who works at a barber’s shop during holidays, says without mincing words: “All the elders in my family will vote for YSRCP.”.
Kona Reddy, a Koya, is another staunch supporter of Jagan. Says he: “I have been getting some work through NREGS. I owe it to YS Rajasekhara Reddy. I am thinking of supporting Jagan in the bypolls.” He thinks Jagan was jailed because he assured to implement the schemes of his father.
Though YSRCP has a clear edge here, it has is drawbacks too. Sitting MLA T.Balaraju has lost people’s confidence. “I had voted for Balaraju in the previous elections. He promised to construct houses and roads. When I approached him, he wanted me to wait for some more time. I stopped visiting him,” complains Bhushanam.
They are many Congress supporters who wish to vote for Jagan. But, will they on the D-day? “You know better. It all depends on who pay how much,” says a tribal, who is unwilling to disclose his name. When he is told that the government and the Election Commission are doing all they can to stop money flow in the elections, he retorts: “There are thousands of voters. Will police be able to register cases against all of them? Distribution of money to voters is not uncommon in elections,” he argues.
By fielding a “weak” candidate, Nupa Parvati, on the recommendation of MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, the ruling party has pushed itself down to the third place, leaving the battleground to the YSRCP and TDP to fight it out. Peeved over the nomination of Parvati, a prominent Congress leader Karatam Rambabu, who wanted the Congress to field B Bojji Dora, is extending clandestine support to the YSRCP.
Another advantage to the YSRCP is that former TDP MLA Singam Dora too has joined it. He is expected to split TDP votes to some extent in favour of YSRCP. However, TDP’s Mudiyam Srinivas is giving a tough fight to YSRCP and is hoping for a split of votes between Congress and YSRCP. “Despite Singam Dora’s exit from the party, TDP’s vote bank is intact. No TDP voter will support YSRCP. The YSRCP will get only Congress votes. I am sure of TDP’s win,” says Subbarayudu, a fruit juice vendor. Though some sections of BCs have shifted their allegiance to theYSRCP, thel TDP still enjoys the traditional support from BCs.
All these political and numerical calculations may go wrong if money plays an influencing role in this byelection. “I will vote as per the directions given by our local leader,” says an aged person. Tribal people usually take collective decisions and are known for “kulam kattubatu”. The voting pattern will be decided by the “orders” given by the local tribal leaders in each tanda. It is up to the political parties how best they can influence the local leaders.
To sum up the situation, the YSRCP seems to be racing ahead while the TDP following closely behind and the Congress lagging behind the two
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