The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Siddipet by-election: TDP puts up a better show

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Sunday, Oct 17, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Siddipet by-election: TDP puts up a better show

By Our Staff Reporter

SIDDIPET, OCT. 16. The Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) has retained the Siddipet Assembly seat, with its candidate and State Minister for Youth Services, T. Harish Rao, defeating his nearest rival, Cheruku Mutyam Reddy of the Telugu Desam, by over 24,827 votes. The remaining seven candidates lost their deposits.

Even though the TDP has registered its third consecutive loss in the Telangana heartland, it has been able to reduce the TRS majority by almost half. During the recent Assembly elections, the TRS president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, had defeated his TDP rival, Zilla Srinivas, by over 44,668 votes.

Revival path

While TRS has retained its strength in rural areas like Dubbaka, Nangunoor, Chinakodur and Siddipet mandals, the TDP showed a revival in Siddipet town. During the seventh round of counting, Mr. Mutyam Reddy staged a comeback by getting a slight majority of 1,279 votes. The margins continued to be low up to the tenth round. With Mr. Harish Rao maintaining a definite edge over his rival, the TDP began losing hope and some of its agents left the counting centre at the New Government High School even before the counting was over.

The final tally at the end of the 14th and the final round was: TRS (64,374 votes), TDP (39,547), BSP (2,014), Pyramid Party (2,848), Janata (1,158), and Independents, Kommu Yellaiah (621), Ghajbinkar Bansilal (3,279), Chintamadka Pendyala Rajanna Mudiraj (605) and R. Chandrasekhar Reddy (1062).

`Victory for poor'

A festive atmosphere prevailed at the counting centrem, with the TRS candidate increasing his lead after every round. Party supporters cheered and waved pink flags. Mr. Harish Rao arrived at around 11 a.m. After being declared elected by the Returning Officer, he attributed his victory to the three-and-half crore Telangana people.

Responding to a question on the reduced majority, he said he "was no match for KCR" to register that kind of majority. Alleging that the TDP has flooded the constituency with money and liquor, Mr. Harish Rao said he was glad that the poor and the underprivileged had stood behind the TRS "like a rock." Listing his priorities as a legislator of the region, he said drinking water and drought would be his target areas.

The defeated TDP candidate said that he would respect the verdict of voters.

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