BJP improves polling percentage in Atmakur bypoll

Nellore: BJP has fared well in Atmakur byelection in the absence of its alliance with Jana Sena and main opposition TDP despite losing its deposit. The saffron party is on cloud nine as polling percentage significantly increased from 2,314 (1.33 pc) votes in 2019 to 19,353 (14.1 pc) votes, including postal ballot, in 2022. In fact, it should have 16.67 pc of votes for getting the deposit. In fact, BJP faced polls bravely even though it is not having adequate cadre and party sympathisers for helping in the polls.

Party state president Somu Veerraju and other district level leaders camped there and prepared strategy for electioneering. Party senior leader Karnati Anjaneya Reddy contested in 2019 polls and got 2,314 votes and the main opponent TDP candidate Bollineni Krishnaiah and Mekapati Goutham Reddy from the YSR Congress gained the polls. In 2014 polls also, Goutham Reddy won hearts of people from the YSRCP where G Murali Mohan Babu was from TDP. In 2004, Bollineni Krishnaiah was BJP candidate and he secured 38,950 votes in the polls and the independent candidate Kommi Lakshmaiah Naidu won the polls. Krishnaiah was basically from the Congress, and he joined the BJP and his cadre supported him in the polls. There is no such huge presence of BJP cadre in the constituency, say analysts.

"This time, main opposition TDP hasn't contested in the polls and leaders kept quiet failing to ask voters whom to support as both YSR Congress and BJP are rivals. Some voters preferred the saffron party as there is no alternative, and the nominee is from the ruling party. Jana Sena also maintained distance with the BJP due to alleged internal squabble on selection of the candidate. So, their supporters were having no option except to vote for BJP," said a TDP leader from Atmakur.

But BJP leaders initially expected anti-incumbency votes and the expectations proved unproductive. But the party is seeing it as a progress and interest on the party by voters, he added.