HYDERABAD: The high-voltage campaign for the Munugode bypoll, slated for November 3, ended at 6 pm on Tuesday after almost two months of no-holds-barred verbal attacks and free flow of cash and liquor.
The last day saw herculean efforts by the main players in the fray — Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress — to woo the voters with promises and emotional appeals, and even street fighting between workers of the saffron and pink parties.
Considered a triangular fight between the TRS, BJP and Congress, the outcome of the bypoll is likely to decide their future course. The TRS, which has rechristened itself the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), is eager to go national. The BJP is keen on emerging as the only alternative to the ruling party in the State and the Congress is hoping to regain its lost glory.
Winning Munugode is thus a necessity for each. It was only natural for them to use every trick in the trade to win over the hearts and minds of the voters — from showering boons, offering (as per the word on the street) anywhere between Rs 1,000 and Rs 4,000 per voter, distributing liquor and even applying mehendi.
Unlike normal elections, major issues of the constituency weren’t debated at length. The resignation of sitting Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who is now contesting on a BJP ticket, took centre stage in the election campaign.
While blaming Rajagopal for ‘forcing’ the bypoll, the TRS is banking on its progress report, i.e. welfare and developmental works undertaken to date, and declarations of a ‘golden future’ for Munugode. Giving it the last mile advantage was party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao himself.
Citing the recent alleged Operation Lotus, he sought to portray the BJP as a ‘power-hungry snake’ that is out to bite the voters with meters for agricultural borewells and Goods and Service Tax (GST) on handloom products and topple his government.
BJP national president JP Nadda, who was to address a public meeting in Munugode, dropped the idea at the last minute. Though Wayanad MP and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is in the State, he preferred not to visit Munugode. Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy too did not campaign for the party allegedly to shift the winds in favour of his brother, the BJP candidate.
It was left to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief A Revanth Reddy and party candidate P Sravanthi Reddy to soldier on despite being unable to match the TRS and the BJP in resources.
The BJP, on the other hand, deployed its might sans its national leaders. The well-oiled machine that it is, however, found itself on the backfoot after the alleged Operation Lotus came to light. Nonetheless, its State unit chief Bandi Sanjay, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and others went on the offensive.
Huzurabad MLA’s personal staff and activists of both parties sustained injuries. TRS said MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLA Peddi Suresh Reddy, Mulugu ZP chairman K Jagadish and others were injured.
‘Fear of losing’
BJP and TRS leaders accused each other of attacking their workers as they feared losing the bypoll. Some BJP workers also accused the police of working in support of the TRS. Rajender said he will lodge a complaint with the ECI regarding the incident.