Neck and neck in Nandyal bypoll: Andhra Pradesh

Surveys indicate TDP, YSRC have equal chance of victory in bypoll ,Close to 80% of constituency turn up to exercise their franchise.
People queue up to cast their votes in the Nandyal byelection on Wednesday | Express  | Full coverage: p5
People queue up to cast their votes in the Nandyal byelection on Wednesday | Express | Full coverage: p5

NANDYAL/VIJAYAWADA: As the dust settled in Nandyal on Wednesday evening with the last of the voters exercising their franchise, both the ruling TDP and Opposition YSRC vied with each other to claim victory. The long-awaited bypoll witnessed an unprecedented voter turnout of 79.20 per cent, giving hopes of a comfortable win for both the sides. But all indications are, it may go down to the wire when the EVMs are unsealed on August 28.The TDP, which has fielded the 32-year-old Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy from incumbent the late Bhuma Nagi Reddy’s family, has pinned its hopes on the sympathy factor and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s development mantra. Nagi Reddy died of a cardiac arrest on March 12 this year and his wife Shobha died during the 2014 election. Against this backdrop, the TDP relied on their daughters, Tourism Minister Akhila Priya and Mounika, to garner the sympathy vote for Brahmananda Reddy, the son of Nagi Reddy’s brother.

Speaking to TNIE post the bypoll, a senior party leader cited an internal survey to claim that Brahmananda Reddy could win by a margin of 25,000 votes. “We have a solid vote-bank of 50,000 in Nandyal. It is not possible for anyone to break this block,” he said, and also cited the unusually high turnout of women voters. “In the rural area of Gospadu, where the voter turnout touched 90 per cent, we may get a slender majority of about 800-1,000,” he added. Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, who was given the critical role of steering the party to victory, predicted his party would get “10 per cent more than the expected majority.” 

Informed sources told TNIE that YSRC expects to win either by a big margin of 15,000 votes or may lose by about 5,000 votes. It fielded Silpa Mohan Reddy, who defected to the party from the TDP after the latter denied him the ticket.“There was an edge till three-four days before the election. The last-minute blitz by the TDP did tilt the scales a bit. The Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samiti could also cut into some votes. Even if it is only in the hundreds or a maximum of 1,000, if it all goes down to the wire, the YSRC may be in trouble,” the sources said.  

The Hyderabad-based People’s Pulse, which conducted a survey between August 17 and 19, predicted the YSRC had a little edge over the TDP. According to it, the YSRC was ahead with 48.3 per cent support with the TDP behind at 45.6. But given the margin of error of about 5 per cent this way or that way, it could be seen as a close fight. The survey findings are interesting in that it says the TDP’s support among Muslims is greater by 10 per cent, denting the core vote base of the YSRC. Conversely, the YSRC seems to be eating into the TDP’s core vote group of BCs and Balijas.

Jagan in Kakinada on Saturday
With Nandyal having cast its vote, YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set to begin his two-day visit to Kakinada on Saturday to canvass for party candidates contesting the Kakinada civic polls on August 29. Jagan had earlier planned to begin campaigning in Kakinada on August 23, but changed his schedule as his visit “may disturb Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations” 

Non-bailable warrant against HRD Minister 
Visakhapatnam:
A non-bailable warrant has been issued against HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao for skipping court hearings of a poll code violation case registered against him during the 2009 general elections.  During the hearing on Wednesday, Anakapalle Second Additional Metropolitan Court Judge Justice AVV Satyanarayana Murthy directed the Minister to be present before the court in person without fail during the next hearing slated for September 11.  

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