VIJAYAWADA: With YS Sharmila joining the bandwagon of the Congress on Thursday, and expected to be active in the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee affairs, the TDP now seems to be of the view that the Congress may grab some share of the anti-incumbency vote in the ensuing Assembly elections. However, some TDP leaders are of the opinion that the entry of Sharmila will definitely help Congress to grab some share of the YSRC vote bank.
Their logic is that the YSRC has grabbed the votes of the Congress in the last two elections as the Grand Old Party perished in Andhra Pradesh after the State bifurcation, and any resurgence of that party will only dent the prospects of the ruling YSRC.
It is anticipated that Sharmila becoming active in the APCC affairs will come in handy for the TDP in the coming elections as the Congress will succeed in grabbing the votes of the YSRC, particularly from that of the Reddy community and Christian minorities.
There is also a possibility of the YSRC dissident MLAs shifting their loyalties to Congress in case they fail to get accommodated by the TDP and the Jana Sena Party, a senior TDP leader opined. However, there is also a possibility of disgruntled leaders opting for the BJP, which is at the helm of affairs at the Centre, he added.
Observing that miracles will not happen to the Congress with the entry of Sharmila, the TDP senior leader, however, said, “There will be some improvement in the vote share of that party now. The success of Congress in the neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka in recent Assembly elections will also improve the prospects of the Grand Old Party in the State to a certain extent.”