The by-poll ‘surprise’ thrown by voters of Dubbak has many ramifications not only in the constituency but across the State. The victory of BJP candidate M. Raghunandan Rao, though with a slender margin of 1,079 votes, has shocked many political parties and observers.
Everybody had guessed that ruling TRS candidate S. Sujatha would emerge successful with at least a small margin if not with a majority it got last time, which was about 62,000 votes.
But, BJP workers proved them wrong with their meticulous planning. They worked at the field and interacted with voters non-stop and were confident till the last minute. “About 5,000 BJP activists from different parts of the State had arrived here, stayed in function halls, spent money from their own pockets and worked for the party voluntarily. The victory was not easy and has sweat of many,” commented a BJP worker at the counting centre.
It seems the sympathy factor worked after seizure of money from the house of a relative of BJP candidate Raghunandan Rao at the district headquarters one week before polling.
But, despite all this, TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had openly said that the ground was very clear for the party in Dubbak.
“For reasons best known to them, the TRS leadership left the entire responsibility of campaigning on the shoulders of Finance Minister Harish Rao. Neither Mr. KCR nor his son and TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao campaigned in Dubbak. They had double advantage. If the party won, they could have claimed that the State government schemes attracted voters and people had rejected the farm Acts introduced by the Union government. Now, that they have lost, the entire blame will be put on Mr. Harish Rao, who had already accepted that he is responsible for the defeat,” said a party leader, recalling how he was kept outside the Cabinet for more than six months.
“Mr. KCR has been wanting to clear ground for Mr. Rama Rao to become the next Chief Minister and this is the godsend opportunity. Tough times are ahead for him,” commented another leader.
