VIJAYAWADA: After facing a series of debacles in all the polls held since the general elections in 2019, trends of the graduates’ constituencies’ MLC elections seem to be coming as a ray of hope to the Opposition TDP to boost the morale of the cadres before the general elections due next year.Poor performance of the party in the elections to panchayats and local bodies after the TDP debacle in the Assembly polls, disappointed the party cadres a lot for the past four years and their long wait to taste the victory has come as a big boost.
Out of the three graduates’ MLC constituencies, the TDP performed well in North Coastal Andhra and East Rayalaseema segments and it was giving a tough fight (counting of votes is still continuing and result is likely to be decided on the second preferential votes) in West Rayalaseema.
Even as the ruling YSRC already won six out of the nine MLC seats, including four from the local authorities’ constituencies and two from the teachers constituencies and also in the race for another graduates’ MLC constituency, the TDP sees winning the two seats as a moral victory to the party.
In both the North Andhra and East Rayalaseema graduates’ constituencies, the TDP candidates have increased their majority round-by-round and reached a comfortable stage of winning the elections. In West Rayalaseema, there is a keen contest going on between the ruling YSRC and opposition TDP candidates.
Anticipating that victory is certain in the two graduates constituencies and there is also possibility of bagging the third one too, the TDP cadres, who set to see the taste of victory after a long gap, began celebrating the success.
The TDP leaders describe the mandate to the party candidates as an indication to the growing dissatisfaction among the people against the YSRC government. They further exude confidence that it is the TDP that will come to power in the 2024 elections. What came as a shot in arm for the TDP was getting a remarkable majority in North Andhra graduates’ constituency despite the YSRC government announcing Visakhapatnam as the executive capital of the State.TDP leaders argue that the people of Uttarandhra are also opposing shifting of the capital to Vizag from Amaravati.
TDP former minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu said the people of Uttarandhra did not trust Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. People deplored the destruction of Jagan in Vizag in the name of capital and supported the TDP believing that N Chandrababu Naidu, the former CM, can only save the State. “This is the beginning for the downfall of the YSRC government,” he said.Furthermore, the TDP cadres also rejoiced over the party performing well in Rayalaseema, where the YSRC is very strong.
However, the YSRC cadres wonder over the TDP’s claim of coming to power with winning just two MLC seats. The opposition party leaders are forgetting the fact that it is the YSRC, which won six MLC seats in two days and is in the race for bagging another one. It is ridiculous on the part of the TDP to claim that they are having the public mandate by just winning two MLC seats.
If that is the fact, what about the YSRC, which is continuing its winning streak in all the elections be it in the urban local bodies, rural local bodies and any other elections. The TDP propagated that teachers are against the government. But candidates supported by the YSRC won as MLCs from both the teachers’ constituencies, analysed a YSRC leader.