Telugu Desam Party led by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu seems to be facing a tough situation in capturing the MLC seat in the coming elections to the council under combined Visakhapatnam local bodies’ quota.
For, the YSR Congress party led by former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is going all out to prevent cross voting by the party voters, including municipal corporators, councillors, MPTC and ZPTC members.
The YSRCP chief announced the candidature of Botsa Satyanarayana in a strategic manner, as the latter has money power, besides influence to keep the party flock together and win the seat comfortably.
After the defection of five of the YSRCP corporators into the TDP a few days ago, Jagan has become alert and has been regularly talking to the remaining voters.
He has been holding meetings with them and brainwashing them against cross-voting in favour of the TDP.
According to latest reports in a section of media, Jagan has even ordered shifting of the MLC voters of his party to safer locations like Bengaluru or even Hyderabad, so that they would not go in touch with the TDP leadership.
There were also reports that Jagan had offered a good amount of money, up to Rs 5 lakh to each voter, to see that they would vote for the party in the elections. Needless to say, the expenditure would be borne by Botsa himself.
However, the sudden development in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation standing committee elections has baffled the YSRCP leadership.
The TDP won all the seats in these elections, thanks to the cross voting by some YSRCP elections.
Sources said the TDP might be successful in luring a few corporators in GVMC and a few councillors in other municipalities, but they are not enough to win the MLC seat.
Out of the total number of 841 voters who would be exercising their franchise in the MLC elections, the YSRCP has a strength of 615. The NDA allies – TDP, Jana Sena and the BJP – put together, have only 215 votes. Unless another 215 members of the YSRCP defect to the TDP or its allies, they cannot win the MLC seat.
“It is very difficult for the allies of NDA to win the MLC seat in the given circumstances. With Jagan maintaining camps, it is difficult for his party voters to do cross voting for the TDP candidate,” sources said.
