Results raise Telangana hopes

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The Telangana Rashtra Samiti’s close shave in Parkal, winning the Assembly seat by the narrowest margin in all elections the party has taken part till date, has set the TRS leadership thinking.

Friday’s results have raised their hopes that the Congress high command might take an early decision on Telangana, if only as an effort to raise the ruling party’s chances at least in the region.

Congress MP Lagdapati Rajagopal had stated during electioneering that Telangana would be car-ved out as a separate state if the YSR Congress wins.

But the strife for victory in Parkal did not go unnoticed by the TRS leadership, coming as it does soon after a defeat to the BJP in Mahbubnagar.

Not satisfied with the victory margin, TRS politburo member B. Vinod Kumar said the result call-ed for deep introspection.

“But the result has nothing to do with the Telangana sentiment. People have reposed faith in the TRS,” he added. He said Ms Konda Surekha and her family have a stranglehold in the constituency and spent huge amounts of money to woo voters.

MLA and party’s in-charge for campaigning in Parkal T. Harish Rao also said democracy emerged victorious in Parkal.

“Rivals spent an unprecedented amount of money, and distributed liquor and cotton seeds but Telangana sentiment prevailed in the end,” he said. “We will now focus on intensifying the pro-Telangana agitation.”

As the see-saw results swung finally in their favour, TRS activists at the Telangana Bhavan jumped in joy, distributing sweets and throwing gulal at each other.

TRS wins Parkal, but margin hurts

In a nail-biting finish, TRS candidate M. Bikshapati defeated YSR Congress nominee and sitting member Konda Surekha by a margin of only 1,562 votes. In 2009, Mr Bikshapati had lost to Ms Surekha by 11,800 votes. But the victory in Parkal, coupled with YSRC’s runaway victories in 15 out of 18 Assembly constituencies and the Nellore LS seat, has given a shot in the arm to the Telangana movement, TRS believes.