The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ironically, Telugu Desam Party fares well in Telangana

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Monday, May 18, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ironically, Telugu Desam Party fares well in Telangana

K. Venkateshwarlu

After making maximum sacrifice it wins 39 of 59 remaining seats

In sharp contrast, its performance was dismal in North Coastal Andhra
Of the 34 seats at stake in this region, Telugu Desam could get only six

HYDERABAD: Ironic it may appear but Telugu Desam’s best performance in Assembly elections was in Telangana region and in Mahabubnagar district, even as the party regrets in hindsight, forging an alliance with Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

A region-wise analysis shows that the TDP strike rate was best in Telangana and worst in North Coastal Andhra where its star campaigner, NTR Junior drew huge crowds.

In Telangana where it had to make the maximum sacrifice by giving away 45 seats to TRS and 15 to Left parties, it won in 39 of the 59 remaining seats it had contested.

In sharp contrast, its performance was dismal in North Coastal Andhra, where it was expecting to do well. Of the 34 seats at stake in this region, TDP could get only six, while Congress got a massive 24. No wonder TDP stalwarts like K. Yerran Naidu, who contested from Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat, former Assembly Speaker, K. Pratibha Bharathi, former Minister G. Appala Suryanaryana and senior legislator, G. S. S. Sivaji lost.

In the other parts of the Coastal Andhra, where the party’s other prominent campaigner, Nandamuri Balakrishna did his famous twirling the moustache and slapping the thigh act and where it felt the party was rejuvenated, it could not come up with an impressive show. Of the 89 seats, it could manage 29 against Congress’ 51.

It came as a surprise as the party felt it would fare better especially in Guntur and Prakasam and the big losers included former Minister Kodela Sivaprasada Rao and senior leader Karanam Balaramakrishnamurthy.

In the entire coastal belt, the party leaders feel Praja Rajyam party proved to be a spoilsport, making a deep dent into its vote bank much more than that of the Congress.

The switch over of prominent leaders like Kala Venkata Rao, Tammineni Sitaram, Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao, Ganta Srinivas Rao, Jyothula Nehru, Kothapalli Subbarayudu into Praja Rajyam and infighting in Guntur and Prakasam seemed to have added to its woes. In Rayalaseema region too from where the party president N. Chandrababu Naidu hails, it was poor. Of the 52 seats in the region, the TDP could win 17 against Congress tally of 32. Anantapur in the region was a big let down as the party expected to sweep the district but it could get only six.

It was confident of doing well in Kadapa and Kurnool but it could get only one and four respectively. In Chittoor, Mr. Naidu’s native district, it won six conceding seven to Congress and one to PRP. District- wise its performance was best in Mahabubnagar where it won nine, followed by eight in Krishna, six each in Guntur, Chittoor, Anantapur and five each in East and West Godavari, Nellore, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Ranga Reddy. It was less than five in other districts and a poor one each in Kadapa, Medak and Prakasam and drew a blank in Hyderabad.

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