Hyderabad, April 09: Telugu Desam leaders exude confidence that their party might spring a surprise by winning the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat or, in a worse case, retain its number-two position.
Anyhow, the Congress will be the biggest loser, they assert while expressing satisfaction over Sunday’s polling.
A top TDP leader told Express that they could not dismiss chances of TDP candidate MV Mysoora Reddy defeating YSR Congress’ YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“If the vote division between Congress and YSR Congress is 40:60 and the TDP’s traditional vote bank of BCs voted for it, the winning chances of Mysoora Reddy are very bright.” In the worst case, the party will be placed in the second position, he said.
The TDP lost the seat in 2009 by a huge margin of 1.7 lakh votes. Its candidate got 3 lakh votes against Congress candidate’s 5 lakh.
If the Congress vote is split and the TDP retains its vote bank, Mysoora Reddy may emerge winner.
At the same time, TDP leaders think Reddy voters supportive of the TDP might have voted for Jagan this time. “The BC vote bank is intact for TDP,” a leader said.
With solid vote bank among BCs and other sections, particularly those who oppose the dominance of YSR family in Kadapa, the TDP is expecting to push the Congress to the third place.
However, TDP leaders are not interested in discussing the impact the Kadapa result will have on the ruling party if its candidate DL Ravindra Reddy is satisfied with third place.
Some TDP leaders, who participated in electioneering, calculate that the party will be in the second place in Kadapa and in third place in Pulivendula.
–Agencies