Date:31/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/31/stories/2008053152500300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Cross voting may see TRS candidate sail through in Alair

S. Ramu

ALAIR (NALGONDA DT.): Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) cadres in this lone Assembly constituency in Nalgonda district that went to the bypoll are jubilant as they expect massive cross-voting from the Congress and the Telugu Desam in favour of their candidate K. Nagesh.

Apart from the Telangana sentiment among the rural voters, especially youngsters, the internal squabbling in the Congress and Telugu Desam positioned Mr. Nagesh as the frontrunner.

While a strong caste lobby, clandestinely aided and abetted by a State level TD leader, worked against the five-time MLA Mothkupalli Narasimhulu, a powerful group led by the Chairman, Telangana Development Board, Vuppunuthala Purushottam Reddy, created confusion among the Congress voters with its pro-Telangana stand to the dismay of the party nominee Shaga Lazarus.

Irrespective of party affiliations, youngsters come out openly in supporting the TRS nominee. “We don’t have party feelings in this election. Since we support the Telangana cause, we campaigned for the TRS candidate under the aegis of the Telugu Desam Vidya Vanthula Vedika,” Koratikanti Sridhar, a ward member of Motakondur, told The Hindu. Many youngsters in the TD joined hands with this pro-Telangana group.

The CPI cadres also supported the TRS. “As per the directions from the district committee, we supported the TRS in this election,” the CPI secretary of the Yadagirigutta unit Bollagani Satyanarayana said.

However, all the three candidates expressed confidence of their prospects in the election. “Notwithstanding the money and liquor spent by my opponents, I am going to win by a huge majority,” Mr. Nagesh said. Mr. Narasimhulu, who is popular in many pockets in the constituency, said that he would get over 10,000 majority this time.