SIDDIPET: As the Dubbaka defeat slowly sinks in, ruling TRS party leaders are trying to analyse the reasons behind the bypoll debacle. As far as welfare goes, the TRS government has delivered the goods and provided financial assistance to nearly 1.50 lakh people in Dubbaka under various schemes.
Crops over 1.30 lakh acres are now irrigated and drinking water issues have been solved. Finance Minister T Harish Rao led the campaign from the forefront and many expected him to ensure a thumping victory for the party yet again.
On the occasion, TRS leaders are referring to the Telugu proverb that says "The causes for Karna’s death were many (Karnudu chhavu ki karanaalu anekam)." Harish highlighted the State’s development programmes and visited every village in the constituency twice. It was felt that the TRS would win with a comfortable majority of 40,000-50,000 votes.
Rude cops helped BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao win: TRS
"But it was the arrogant behaviour of the police towards BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao that swung the vote in his favour, particularly that of youth," says a TRS partyman. Young voters were aghast when they saw how Raghunandan was harassed by being made to stand on the road for five hours in the name of a vehicle check.
"All parties distribute money during polls, but the TRS was trying to make it appear as if the BJP alone was doing it," said a youth who voted for Raghunandan. A senior leader of the TRS says that welfare schemes are pushed aside if the voters sense a threat to their self-esteem.
Most of the votes in the nine submerged villages in the constituency's Thoguta mandal went to the Congress. Some others in TRS argue that Solipeta Ramalinga Reddy's family had lost its goodwill among the voters which the CM did not realise or accept as true.
Surprisingly, it is not just the youth but elder people and women too voted for the BJP. The future role of Harish Rao in the State government is also under a cloud now, as to whether his poll strategies were inaccurate. All eyes are now on the GHMC elections where KT Rama Rao would be the star campaigner.