SRIKAKULAM: Now the cat is out of the bag. Things are clear for the Local Authorities Constituency for both the Congress and the TDP.

The Congress expelled the rebel candidate Gorle Haribabu Naidu from the party on Friday. Earlier, there was confusion among the party cadre as he claimed the support of the party high command. Now, with his expulsion, things are clear for all.

Interestingly, supporters of Mr. Haribabu Naidu in the party hope that the expulsion will generate a wave of sympathy on which he could win the election. Caste factor will also help him, they say, pointing out that he belongs to a social group (Kapu) which is numerically predominant in the district.

However, supporters of Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao discount all these factors, asserting that now the way is cleared for official candidate Tankala Babji.

TDP clarification

Meanwhile, TDP district unit president Tammineni Sitaram has clarified that his party candidate Chintu Sudhakar is very much in the field and reports that the TDP might support the TDP rebel candidate to ensure defeat of Mr. Babji are false.

"We are in and will win," Mr. Sitaram asserted at a press conference here.

Asked whether it was possible when the total number of votes was 796 and the TDP has a strength of only 282, he said: "We have the situational advantage.

There is a tradition in the Congress to follow the dictates of `conscience' while voting. This will help our candidate," Mr. Sitaram observed.

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