Campaigning for Andhra bypolls ends

The arrest of the 39-year-old president of YSR Congress party in a disproportionate assets case became the dominant issue during the campaigning.

With Jagan’s arrest,his mother and YSR Congress party’s honorary president Y S Vijaya Lakshmi took over the campaign. She was helped by her daughter Sharmila.

Criss-crossing the 12 districts where polls would be held,the mother-daughter duo raised questions about the death of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in the 2009 chopper crash and alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched against Jagan.

The ruling Congress countered the allegations,asking why they kept silent over the death of Rajasekhara Reddy till now.

Burying the alleged differences following the intervention of party high command,Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana came together to carry out a spirited campaign.

Actor-turned-politician and Congress Rajya Sabha member Chiranjeevi campaigned extensively. Union Minister and AICC in-charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad too joined the campaign.

Blaming Jagan for “thrusting the bye-elections on the people,” Congress leaders highlighted his alleged corruption and “close relations with people with criminal backgrounds”.

Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu was the sole star campaigner for his party and he campaigned extensively.

With the electorate said to be having sympathy for Jagan following his arrest,Naidu tried to blunt the attack from both Congress and YSR Congress.

Only one (Parkal in Warangal district) of the 18 Assembly seats is in Telangana region which is witnessing a multi-cornered contest among TRS,Congress,BJP,Telugu Desam and YSR Congress.

The State Election Commission seized Rs 42 crore in cash,and gold and silver ornaments and other valuable items worth over Rs 12 crore during the last few days. This is much higher than the haul of Rs 38 crore during the 2009 general elections.

Around 46 lakh voters would be exercising their franchise in the elections.