HYDERABAD: It was a nail-biting experience for BJP workers and leaders who were tracking the results of the Munugode byelection since Sunday morning, as the contest was quite close initially. As BJP candidate Rajagopal Reddy started getting a lead in the second and third rounds of counting, the party workers were upbeat about his winning chances, though the margin of lead was less.
“BJP gained a lead in the villages where Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy, Roads and Buildings Minister V Prashanth Reddy and Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud were made in-charges. We were confident about BJP’s victory,” said Bhargavi Reddy, a BJP worker who was anxiously waiting for the result of the fourth round by then. Trouble started when the result of the fourth round was being delayed. BJP State leadership started expressing their serious concerns over the delay.
Bandi blames SEC
Warning the State Election Commission that it would be held solely responsible if anything went wrong with the results, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay asked the SEC why the results which were released promptly in the first couple of rounds, were delayed in the third and fourth rounds. Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy called Vikas Raj, State Election Commissioner on phone, and expressed his displeasure about the counting process being followed. Within 10 minutes the results of the fourth round were released.
Even as the BJP leaders kept levelling allegations against the SEC, the counting resumed and as TRS candidate K Prabhakar Reddy started gaining lead in every single round. Even when Prabhakar Reddy was in the lead by 3,200 votes, party workers were hoping that BJP would be able to gain a lead in Chandur mandal and municipality, for which counting was held in the 8, 9 and 10 rounds. That didn’t happen and Prabhakar Reddy kept gaining in every round. By the time results for round 10 was announced, party workers started leaving, having understood that BJP was losing.