HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has improved its voting percentage after worst defeats in 2010 byelections. However, the bitter part is that the party is in the third place in some segments and behind the ruling Congress.
“There is a vast difference between 2010 bypolls and the latest round,” TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said. In 2010 bypolls, even TDP local leaders were scared of touring in Telangana. The party was unable to face TRS. This time, Naidu toured extensively in the region. He took TRS and its chief K Chandrasekhara Rao head on and yet got a good number of votes. Even PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana and Chiranjeevi could not tour in the region. “People in Telangana region believed our words to some extent,” Naidu said.
“Last time, our candidates got only four to five thousand votes. This time, the victory margins of TRS have come down,” said Telangana Telugu Desam Forum convenor E Dayakar Rao.
TDP leaders say Congress, as the ruling party, had some advantages and resources and so it performed better than TDP in some segments. Four of TDP candidates quit and contested again. They damaged the party and its infrastructure. Yet, the party was able to build its infrastructure within no time to give a spirited fight, they say.
On Kovur bypoll, the TDP was of the opinion that the party performed well. The victory margin of YSRC was less compared to the byelections held in Kadapa and Pulivendula. “People understood the difference between corruption of YSRC and the development of TDP,” a party senior added.
“We have to analyse the outcome of the bypolls in detail. We will come out with an action plan soon,” Naidu said.
TDP’s critics say the party is finished. “The Congress and the TDP can not improve further in the state,” said BJP state president G Kishan Reddy.
However, Naidu is confident that just six months time before the next elections is sufficient to turn the tide in favour TDP.
After the results are out, Naidu held a meeting with Anantapur district leaders to finalise candidates for the byelections in Rayadurgam and Anantapur segments.