Telangana Assembly Election: Both TRS, Congress-led alliance claim popular mandate will be in their favour

Hyderabad: Both the TRS, and the Congress-led Opposition alliance claimed Thursday that the mandate of the Telangana electorate would be in their favour after what has turned out to be a “bitter campaign”. For its part, the BJP, which is going it alone in Friday’s election to the 119-member House, like the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti), said it was satisfied as it has ensured that the poll becomes a “triangular contest”. “We are going to win with thumping majority. People are with us. It’s going to be a landslide victory. It will be more than two-thirds majority”, Deputy leader of TRS in Lok Sabha, B Vinod Kumar said. [caption id=“attachment_5685211” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] People have appreciated the performance of the KCR (caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) government for the past four-and-half years, the Karimnagar Lok Sabha member claimed. The TRS, seeking a second term in office, is being challenged by “Prajakutami” (People’s Front) forged by the Congress along with the Telugu Desam Party, the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). AICC in-charge of Telangana, RC Khuntia said the grouping would get more than 80 seats. While admitting that it’s going to be a “tough contest”, General Secretary of CPI, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, said, “we are confident of ‘Prajakutami’s victory.” Impressive turnout of the people at campaign meetings and enthusiasm of voters gave confidence to the Opposition front, Reddy said, adding, members of the grouping worked unitedly at the ground level in most of the places. The BJP, which won five seats in alliance with the TDP in the 2014 elections, said it ensured that there is a triangular fight in Telangana poll. “Earlier, when the election season began, it was projected by both the parties — Congress and TRS — as if the fight is in between both of them. It was not a fact. But it was a propaganda to ensure that we are not in the game”, Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said. Rao claimed that the BJP now sees spike in voter percentage for the party with its national and state leaders campaigning vigorously across the State. “Whatever may be the outcome, whether we increase our percentage of votes, or whether we come to power or whether we become a decisive force to form a government, either of these options are completely welcome for the BJP,” he said.