TRS banks on its welfare schemes
Some 2.80 crore voters will decide who among the two main contenders — the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), or the Congress-led People’s Front — will form the next government in Telangana state.
The TRS is banking on the 450 plus welfare schemes it has introduced in the last four-and-a-half years. The People's Front is depending on the antiincumbency factor and some attractive assurances it has given to the people, to turn the tide in its favour.
The TRS has said it is confident of winning more than 100 seats, and the People's Front believes it can win around 70 seats. In several assembly constituencies the fight between the TRS and the Front will be very close.
At the time the Assembly was prematurely dissolved, it seemed the TRS was in an unassailable position, but after the formation of the People's Front comprising the Congress, Telugu Desam, Telangana Jana Samithi and CPI, the fight has become tougher.
Both the TRS and the Front allies have promised voters several freebies and improvements in their election manifestoes. The TRS and Front parties are both trying to woo different sections of society, including the Muslims and other minorities, while the BJP sticks to its single point agenda of Hindutva. After all the noise and fury of the last few months, it is now up to the voters to decide which agenda they prefer.
In some constituencies, the names of the candidates are causing confusion as they are quite similar, particularly the first name and surname. For example, in Kukatpally assembly constituency, the TRS candidate is Madhavaram Krishna Rao and the BJP candidate is named Madhavaram Kantha Rao. In Husnabad assembly constituency, the CPI candidate is Chada Venkata Reddy and the BJP candidate is Chada Srinivasa Reddy.
In Aswaraopet assembly constituency, the TRS candidate and one independent candidate have identical names; both are Thati Venkateswarlu. To help voters to distinguish between them they have written their respective fathers' name against their first names.
Political parties are worried that votes may go to their opponents if voters mix them up.