Amaravati: Telugu Desam party leaders seem unnerved by the high percentage of polling in 175 assembly constituencies in the April 11 elections. Many ruling party leaders are said to be admitting that anti-incumbency may sweep them out of power. They privately state that they had not expected such a tidal wave of anger against the TDP.

A ruling party leader belonging to North Andhra stated that people did not seem to have been attracted in a big way by the welfare schemes of the TDP. The YSR Congress party president, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has clearly succeeded in driving his message home seeking an opportunity for his party, they agreed.

TDP leaders and workers are said to have been asked by Chandrababu Naidu to ensure that polling percentage remained low so that it would then suit the purpose of the ruling party. However, they failed to do so as people stepped out in large numbers to vote. Many of them continued to vote till late in the night.

TDP‘s strategy that higher polling percentage would be detrimental to its prospects boomeranged on it. Only later, according to some ruling party leaders, did many of them realise that a higher voter turnout could not be curbed through media propaganda on faulty EVMs. The sustained media campaign made it obvious even to the layman that there was a clear attempt on the part of the TDP to keep voters away from polling booths.

The violence unleashed during an otherwise peaceful polling process also showed the frustration of the TDP. The underlying idea of the ruling party leaders was that poll violence would keep voters away. Two most glaring examples are those of ruling party leaders in Kadapa and Anantapur involving Adinarayana Reddy in one case and violence let loose by Paritala Sriram’s men. There were many other such incidents across the state.

Also Read: Higher Voter Turnout, A Pointer To End Of Wicked TDP Rule