No-trust vote: TDP hits two birds with one shot

Express News Service
Last Updated : 07 Dec 2011 11:19:35 AM IST

HYDERABAD: It was like hitting two birds with one shot for the main opposition party. The Telugu Desam used the no-trust motion to trap its political opponents _ Congress and YSR Congress.

After the no-trust vote, though TDP lost it by a considerable margin, the Congress' effective own strength in the Assembly has come down to 136. The ruling party was apparently weak and depended on the crutches provided by the PRP and MIM, the TDP noted.

On the other hand, the TDP proved that YSRC also became weak after the CBI probe against YS Jagan. "Jagan said the Congress government was at his mercy and claimed the support of 50 Congress MLAs. But, where is the YSRC now?" opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu asked.

After the vote, the YSRC leaders said that Naidu talked less on farmers and spent most of the time rebuking YS Rajasekhara Reddy, YS Jagan and YSRC. "If I talked less on farmers and criticised YSR, then why did the YSRC vote in favour of our notrust motion?" retorted Naidu.

Now, Naidu can go to the people and prove he was the only champion of farmers' cause and that was why the YSRC supported him.

"We are ready for by-elections whenever they are held," he said. The by-polls could help the TDP gauge the pulse of voters in the triangular contests and gear up for the 2014 elections, especially in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.

"Voters are not innocent. They do not tolerate corrupt leaders," Naidu said and described the no-trust motion was a slap in the face of the ruling party.

TDP leaders observed that YSRC's lone MLA, YS Vijayamma, could have moved a no-trust motion to spare YSR loyalist MLAs the embarrassment of supporting a motion moved by their betenoir. "Ultimately, Jagan walked into our trap. He will be trapped in our political games in future too," a confident-sounding TDP leader remarked.