Punters want to make quick bucks by betting on winning horses

Ongole: The election fever would not recede until the results are out, but the tension is rising by day as various organisations are announcing their exit poll surveys giving an edge to one party or the other. These surveys are becoming the base for change stakes at the betting over the next chief minister, winning candidate in a particular constituency and even the majority.

Everyone is politically motivated by their choices and understanding. The voters choose their representative by considering many factors or simply none. They have the tendency to discuss who could make the next chief minister or prime minister, the MLA or MP for their constituency, and based on the information they have, they believe that their candidate would win the election.

In the erstwhile Prakasam district, betting is happening on the next MLA of Ongole, Chirala, Darsi, Kondapi, and Markapur.

For Ongole, the punters are increasing their bets on Damacharla Janardhana Rao and Balineni Srinivasa Reddy day following the release of surveys. Sources reveal that the bookies are offering 3 to 4 times the money the bettor staked on Balineni Srinivasa Reddy.

In Chirala, the odds are two times for the Congress candidate Amanchi Krishna Mohan, three times for the YSRCP candidate Karanam Venkatesh, and five times for the TDP candidate M M Kondaiah. In Darsi, the odds are two times for the YSRCP candidate Dr Buchepalli Sivaprasad Reddy against three times for the TDP candidate Gottipati Lakshmi.

Betting is rampant in Palnadu district also. In Pedakurapadu, bets are 3 to 1 on Namburu Sankararao of YSRCP, against 2 to 1 on Bhashyam Praveen of TDP.

In Tenali of Guntur district, the odds are 2 to 1 for the Jana Sena Party candidate Nadendla Manohar and 3 to 1 for the YSRCP candidate Annabattuni Siva Kumar. The odds in Tenali have changed after the slapping incident on the election day, says the source.

In the Narasaraopet parliament constituency, the odds are 2 to 1 for the YSRCP candidate Poluboyina Anil Kumar against 3 to 1 for the TDP candidate Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu. In Godavari districts, Pithapuram Assembly constituency has become focus of many bets.

The Kadapa parliament constituency is also a favourite for the bettors. The odds on Kadapa YSRCP candidate YS Avinash Reddy is 2 to 1 while the bettors on APCC president Y S Sharmila Reddy are receiving the odds 3:1. The bettors from all over the state are keeping their stakes on Pithapuram also. The odds are 4:1 for the Jana Sena party president Pawan Kalyan while 2:1 for the YSRCP candidate, Vanga Geetha.

The bookies appointed agents in almost all major towns at the salons, tea stalls, rice shops, etc., and offered a commission for the bet, irrespective of the win or loss by the bettor. Though the agents insist on cash for the bets, they are also accepting UPI payments from the bettors known to them personally. Overall, the sources say that about Rs 150 crore is already in bets in the Prakasam district, Rs 100 crore in Palnadu and more than Rs 1,000 crore on Pithapuram alone.