Balineni makes a self-goal while Damacharla proves dependable

Ongole: TDP state vice-president Damacharla Janardhana Rao became the MLA of Ongole, with a majority of 34,026 votes against his opponent YSR Congress Party candidate Balineni Srinivasa Reddy.

In the total 2,04,329 votes polled in EVMs, Damacharla achieved a total of 1,18,800 votes, about 56.76 per cent, while Balineni managed to get 84,774 votes, about 40.50 per cent.

After winning in the 2019 elections with 52.08 per cent of votes, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy became a minister in the cabinet of the YSRCP-led Government. Being a relative to the chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, he has a great advantage in performing, but he failed to prove his ability to the public.

The villagers around a factory near Ongole might be appalled by the comments of Balineni in the election campaign that he will shut it down just in 30 days after he was re-elected. They may have thought that the real estate projects of Balineni’s family, and others near to it, could be the reason for the threat to the factory, where hundreds of their family members are working. The attacks and fights during the election campaign, Balineni’s claim in the media that thousands have participated in it could have instilled fear in the public. The public would have also seen the distribution of the 25000 housing plots in a hurry, just before the notification of the election, as a poll stunt.

Damacharla Janardhana Rao utilised every opportunity against Balineni, in his favour and stood by the victims of the Balineni’s followers and questioned the government. The confidence in the rule of Nara Chandrababu Naidu, and the trust in the ability of Damacharla have paid well, and TDP got the Assembly seat without much struggle, as anticipated.