Money and memory of YSR key factors in Narsapur constituency

V V Balakrishna Express News Service - NARSAPUR

08th June 2012 08:52 AM

The talk is about money in Narsapur with five days to go to the byelections. The sight of hundreds of CRPF personnel getting off their buses triggers hushed conversations that the Kiran Reddy government is doing its utmost to thwart the YSRC by cutting off the money supply lines. A few yards from the town’s main bus terminus, fruit vendors discuss how much a vote might fetch on June 12. Local policemen canvass the populace with handheld mikes, and imploring voters not to fall prey to money, liquor or other inducements.

But everyone’s got money, and it’s hard to tell which way this three-cornered contest is going. “People go in large numbers to all election meetings. They pay Rs 100 per head. But a large crowd is not a sign of victory,” says Prasada Rao, a voter from Mamidipalli. Some say it’s a keen contest between the much-travelled Kottapalli Subbarayudu of the Congress and M Prasada Raju of the YSRC. Some tip the TDP as a dark horse.

The YSRCP candidate is a Raju, and the Congress and TDP contestants are both Kapus, a numerically large community with strong influence on the lower socioeconomic groups. With support lines not evident, observers say there is a silent majority building up for Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party.

“There is a silent wave in favour of YSRC,” says voter Varaprasad of Mogalturu. Daily workers, Scheduled Castes and some sections of the backward classes, mainly beneficiaries of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s welfare schemes are said to constitute this silent majority.

You get to hear plenty of YSR stories. “I came to have an own house when YSR was chief minister. His government did not even force me to pay my dues,” said Tirumal Rao, a mutha worker. A tea stall owner says: “I got several benefits from the YSR government. Annam tinevaadu yevaraina Jagan ke vote veyyali. (Whoever has a meal to eat must remember YSR).”

However, the situation is not so easy for YSR’s son’s party. There are now signs here that support for Jagan has built up to a tidal wave. Naraspur constituency being in equal parts urban and rural, the Congress and TDP set store by the middle classes living in the town. Educated people and businessmen see Jagan’s doings in the shadow of YSR differently. Corruption is an issue for them. “Didn’t Congress leaders know when Jagan was benefiting from the YSR government?. We should punish both the YSRC and the Congress,” says a student, K Nagender.

As both the Congress and TDP have fielded Kapus, it is a big question who will get the bulk of support from within that caste. As of now Subbarayudu seems to be ahead, but then the TDP can count on the support of the backward classes such as the Agnikula Kshatriyas, Setti Balijas and others. “Kapus may vote en mass for Kottapalli, but the BCs will do so for the TDP,” said cobbler Obulesu.

It all depends on which way the Kapu vote goes. The community has always tried to keep its grip on the constituency by voting en bloc. Due to this factor, Subbarayudu has never lost an election, except when he contested on a PRP ticket in 2009. Even during the riots triggered by the murder of Vangaveeti Ranga, he won on a TDP ticket. But then, this segment has no history of a Kapu leader winning on a Congress ticket since 1983.

Voters here admit that the YSRC candidate has support among the SCs, BCs and other weaker sections. Surprisingly, however, most of the voters from the lower strata are yet to decide their choice.

“Let us see who will distribute money. Tell me, if one party pays you Rs 600, another party Rs 700 and a third Rs 1,000, who will you vote for?” says a petty vendor when asked about his choice. Asked what would be the fate of all these calculation if the government succeeds in checking the flow of money on polling day, he says the Congress and the TDP would then be able to get their traditional votes.

Some voters expressed disappointment that Jagan is in jail. They had been expecting money to flow like water in the runup to the election. Some voters feel that there is no great leadership in the YSRC or the Congress, and only Chandrababu Naidu has the smarts to run a government.

Despite Y S Vijayamma’s campaign here, the YSRC has gained no clear edge over other its two rivals. Asked about this, autorickshaw driver Raju, a fan of Jagan, retorted that might be said about Kiran Kumar Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu as well. Both toured the constituency, and little good did it do for their parties.