Claiming that winning the Badvel (SC) by-election would be an effortless task for the party, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP)'s chief campaign manager and Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that the party is aiming to win by a margin of one lakh votes.
“Winning the by-election to Badvel (SC) Assembly constituency is an effortless task for our party. We are only striving hard to ensure a thumping victory margin of one lakh votes, as announced by the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy,” he said.
Heading the party’s ‘war room’, Mr. Reddy, who is known as a master strategist, is leading a strong team of a dozen party legislators, including some Cabinet ministers.
The Minister has been in the forefront of the party’s vigorous campaign to retain the backward constituency in the by-election that was necessitated by the demise of party MLA G. Venkata Subbaiah. The YSRCP is seeking to retain the seat by pitting his widow D. Sudha
In an interview to The Hindu on various issues including development, the voters’ mood and the opposition charges, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy said ‘the party will win the election hands down.’
On detractors equating the high-decibel campaign to a ‘sense of insecurity’ gripping the ruling party, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy laughed away the charge.
“The opposition is confined to tall talk as our candidate’s victory is a foregone conclusion. Our sincere effort is only to realise the Chief Minister’s dream of ensuring a victory margin of one lakh votes,” he said.
Going by the‘development mantra’, he said the party activists would take the ‘Navaratnalu’ scheme to every doorstep.
Striking a local chord, he said every farmer in the constituency knew which government had brought water to the Brahmam Sagar project.
‘No impact of BJP’
Quizzed if the absence of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the fray made any difference, the Minister admitted that the main opposition opting out of the race had indeed made the task easier for the ruling party.
However, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jana Sena combination will have no impact on the polls.
Snubbing the BJP for projecting a ‘larger than life’ image of itself, he wondered if the party could even secure manpower to work as booth agents.
“Our relaxed activists are focussed on the goal post. Our efforts will show in the results,” he signed off.
