Karnataka results boost both Cong & Oppn in Andhra

, May 9: The

might be thinking that it did itself a great favour by winning the

assembly polls for this consolidates its grip in southern India, but in the neighbouring

, the perception is not a very one-sided one.

While the Congress took the Karnataka result a big boost ahead of the 2014 assembly elections, their Opposition in Andhra thought the anti-incumbency factor would play as decisive a role here too.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Botsa Satyanarayana was of the opinion that the people of Karnataka chose Congress for fighting against corruption and hailed the Karnataka unit of the party for waging a tireless battle against deep-rooted corruption of the former BJP government there. He said the same will be repeated in Andhra Pradesh next year as well.

The Congress is in power in the state since 2004 but its government has seen a tough time in office since the death of YS Rajashekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash September 2009. The YSR Congress, floated by the late CM's son, Jaganmohan Reddy, and the Telangana issue have posed serious challenge to the ruling party and it suffered losses in crucial bypolls in the state last year.

Satyanarayana took a dig at the YSR Congress and said the people never support those who indulge in corrupt practices and steal public money. He said the Congress government in the state was committed to weed out corruption and implement welfare programmes.

He was confident that the party will repeat its electoral performance of 2004 and 2009 in 2014 as well.

He also said that it should be learnt from the Karnataka polls that sentiments never help a party to win electoral battles. Referring to the YSR Congress, he said the latter's dream of coming to power will remain unfulfilled.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), however, saw things differently. Agreeing with the Congress leader's view that voters gave their mandate against corruption in Karnataka, it said the results also indicate the drubbing the Congress will get in the next assembly polls, thanks to the massive corruption charges that it faces.

The TDP leadership also said that sentiments will not work in the next polls and the YSR Congress, just like the BSR Congress in Karnataka, which was set up by B Srirumulu to bank on the sentiment factor, will flop at the end.

The YSR Congress was not convinced with the viewpoints of either the Congress or TDP. It said the people of Andhra Pradesh will back Jagan as they believe that he would bring back the 'good times' of his father.

The party also challenged both the Congress and TDP to hold bypolls to all the 18 assembly segments where the representatives violated the whip of their respective parties during the recent no-trust motion. It said this while replying to the taunting made by the two parties that it would also be decimated like the BSR Congress.

The YSR Congress came out with flying colours in the June 2012 bypolls in the state.

OneIndia News