Who’s king of Telangana?

​Hyderabad: The main contestants in Telangana Assembly polls- TRS and Congress-led People's Front - on Saturday exuded confidence that they would win the elections hands down. If KCR's scion KT Rama Rao predicted two-thirds majority for the TRS, TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy said the People's Front tally would be anywhere between 75 and 80 seats. KTR instructed party candidates and polling agents to be alert and focused for the next two days until the last vote was counted. He said the Congress was finding excuses for its impending defeat on December 11, when asked about the TPCC chief's doubts on EVM tampering in strong rooms.

Speaking to the mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan, KTR said: "The verdict would be a massive mandate for the TRS for its pro-people governance during the last four and half years. He said development and welfare initiatives would help the TRS reap a rich harvest of votes and seats. The high polling percentage was an indication that the people wanted the TRS to continue for a second term, he said.

KTR reminded that Congress leaders and CM hopefuls were just confined to campaign in their Assembly segments and it was an indication of how insecure the national party was. When asked about exit poll predictions by Lagadapati Rajagopal in favour of the People's Front win, he rubbished it and said it was not an exit poll at all. "What he said three days before the election he repeated the same figures," he said.

KTR felt that Chandrababu Naidu factor had dented Congress chances badly in the election. The Front publicity ads in the last two days in newspapers did not even carry Naidu's image as they were very much concerned about Naidu backlash, he added. When asked about numerous complaints about missing votes, KTR said the TRS would give a letter to the Election Commission to sort out the mess in time for Parliament elections. While this is so, Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that the People’s Front would win 75 to 80 seats and would form the government on December 12.

Addressing the media separately, along with Telugu Desam Party Telangana unit president L Ramana, Telangana Jana Samithi leader Vidyadhar Reddy, CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy and MRPS president Manda Krishna Madiga, Uttam said the Front is all set to win.

He thanked the party workers who have worked for the organization in the polls. He said that a phase of the election exercise has ended and they were waiting for the count of votes. Uttam Kumar Reddy urged the party cadre to be alert at the strong rooms where the electronic voting machines have been stored. He said that there was a danger of tampering and replacement.

He said the party leaders must be cautious when the EVMs would be taken out from strong rooms to counting stations. He said that no one should enter and come out of the strong rooms once their locks are sealed. However, they have observed that some officials have been roaming in the strong rooms after the storage of the strong rooms. He said Suryapet officials have set up CC cameras at the strong rooms. He said that though Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao and his son KT Rama Rao had been claiming that the TRS would get 85 to 100 seats that party would end up with 35 seats on the day of counting.

Speaking on the exit poll results of the national media, the Congress leader said the India Today has claimed that the TRS would get 66 seats. However, its consulting editor Rajdip Sardesai called him in the morning and apologized for the broadcast. The other channels like Times Now and Republic TV are owned by the BJP leaders and they give results in favour of the TRS.

Meanwhile, TJS chief Prof M Kodandaram on Saturday said he was confident of the People's Front forming government in the state. "Election results on December 11 would be in favour of the Front." He ruled out the possibility of a hung Assembly. The People's Front would comfortably clear the halfway mark of 60. The number of seats might even go up to 75 for the Front, he felt.When asked about N Chandrababu factor and whether it helped the Front or led to a disadvantage, Kodandaram said there was no major backlash.