While almost all the surveys by national agencies and channels predicted that Telangana Rashtra Samithi will return to power in Telangana even with a thin majority of seats, former Congress MP from Vijayawada Lagadapati Rajagopal has stuck to his earlier stand and predicted that the Maha Kootami or Praja Kootami will win the assembly elections.
Disclosing the exit polls conducted by his agency RG-Flash team, Lagadapati told media at his residence on Friday evening that the People’s Front will win 65 assembly seats with plus or minus 10 seats.
“The TRS will get 35 assembly seats, plus or minus 10 seats. While the BJP will get 5-7 seats, independents will get seven seats, plus or minus two seats,” he said.
Interestingly, Lagadapati predicted that the TDP will win seven seats, plus or minus two seats.
“The TDP contested in 13 seats, but practically, it fought only in 10 seats bitterly. In Ibrahimpatnam, it had a weak contest because Congress rebel Malreddy Ranga Reddy contested as an independent. So is the case with Makthal, where Independent will win. And in Malakpet, too, it is a weak contest because it is an MIM seat,” he said.
He defended the large margin of error (plus or minus 10 seats) for the People’s Front and the TRS saying several factors had worked in this election.
“There was an unprecedented flow of money, besides attraction towards populist schemes, faith and affection and also anger and hatred. That is why, it was difficult to catch the pulse of the people in several areas,” he said.
Asked why his survey was different from that of the national agencies and channels, Lagadapati said northern agencies had failed to read the pulse of southern voters in all the previous occasions.
“Their surveys in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh proved wrong, because there was a heavy flow of money in these states. I was the only person who predicted accurately in these states.
For the first time, Telangana also witnessed heavy influence of money and other allurements. That is why, I feel our survey is near accurate,” he said.
