The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : In coastal Andhra, betting catches on

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Tuesday, Apr 13, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

In coastal Andhra, betting catches on

W. Chandrakanth

HYDERABAD

"It's five, on seven. OK?"

"Double it? Just five of us. Any problem ?"

A minute later, the answer is yes. In one hour, a briefcase reaches the designated spot and the mobile rings again just to ensure that `two fives' are in safe hands. That's a conversation in Vijayawada, a prosperous coastal town of Andhra Pradesh. And the people are talking elections. Rather they are betting on it.

Make no mistake, the five here is Rs. 5 lakh and the bet is on the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat, where a keen tussle is on the cards between industrialist turned Congress candidate, L. Rajagopal and the noted film producer, Ashwini Dutt, of the Telugu Desam. There are people who bet on individual Assembly constituencies too.

Elsewhere in Guntur district, some 30 km away from the hub of business, a group of youngsters, sits huddled discussing the permutations. Even the margins are being discussed, along with the number of the Assembly segments the TDP candidate for the Narasaraopet Lok Sabha seat will win.

The betting is widespread in coastal Andhra. However, it is all cash down deals; no properties or vehicles are thrown in, as was the case earlier during cricket matches.

There seems to be tonnes of money available for wagering, which has become a favourite pastime of wealthy industrialists, agriculturists and businessmen. Says Chinna, a businessman, "The betting has picked up in the last two days. It is a strict cash business as of now. People faced problems collecting their winnings in the past when properties were at stake".

Picking up is a rather modest statement. In fact, the betting circuit is abuzz with activity, having come alive last month itself, with hard core gamblers getting into the act much before others. Money even exchanged hands during Sonia Gandhi's meeting — the betting was on whether the meeting would be a success.

The poor attendance at the Prime Minister's three public meetings recently in the coastal belt came as a jolt to people. The wagering at present is only on candidates and margins and is usually confined to the districts. "We are waiting for inputs from other districts. The situation has not crystallised yet for waging on parties. Next week, perhaps, it will. The road shows of the TDP and the Congress do a lot of good for the business. The small timers confine themselves to their groups. Entry into our league is a matter of prestige", a wine dealer declares with pride.

For people used to spending lakhs of rupees a year on card games in the clubs dotting the belt, it is no big thing to get in on this "opportunity".

The madness that grips people at these times is such that some of them `spread' their bets. Will both the husband and wife win? (There are several couples in the fray). How about the Anam brothers in Nellore? (Anam Ramanarayan Reddy and Anam Vivekananda Reddy are in the fray for the Assembly polls). What will be the margin of the Congress leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy this time?

The betting has drawn in politicians and their supporters; even a couple of journalists are into it. An interesting aspect of the betting is that it even takes into account dissidence in the political parties; those wagering money are as concerned with the prospects of rebel candidates as the parties themselves. "It is a nuisance for us. If the rebels are bought over by a party, we will not come to know of it in advance. Then there are last minute compromises that affect our calculations. We keep seeking information from friends all over.

The fact that elections are being held to both Parliament and the Assembly means we have to exercise greater caution. Betting is no easy job, unless you want to end up losing," says Abbayi, who is in the export business.

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