Beer, Biryani, crores being bet on Seemandhra election outcome

May is fast turning into a punters' favourite month. Pipping past the IPL, the Seemandhra elections have become the punters' hot favourite.

With slightly more than a week for the all-important counting, huge monies are being hedged. 

According to reports, more than Rs 20,000 crore are being hedged for betting primarily on the outcome of the Seemandhra elections. Vijayawada, Guntur, Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam have emerged as the chief betting centres.

Interestingly, high stakes are being hedged on the victory of the YSRCP. While many are approaching bookies, some are employing mediators to help them bet their money.  Not just money, even mundane things like beer and Biryani are being used as stakes. Reportedly, Krishna district is said to be have the highest number of punters, with investment running into more than Rs 100 crores. 

In Guntur and Vijayawada, bets also revolve around Chandrababu Naidu and whether the former CM will win or lose or whether he will win by more than 20,000 votes or less.   

Many have invested heavily in the betting. For instance, a farmer who owns three acres land in Macherla, has staked his entire property on betting. Yet another  farmer from Nuziveedu hedged his entire five acres of mango farm.  

A minority leader at 15th ward of Ponnuru has placed bets on Chandrababu, stating that the latter will not even sit as opposition leader.  While an overseer from Sangadigunta, Guntur is trying his luck by betting Rs 50,000 on Chandrababu.  

A clothes merchant from Proddutur has placed a bet on YSRCP to bag more than 100 seats. He put over Rs 20 lakh, going by 1:2 ratio. 

Similar scenes can be witnessed in Kadapa as well. An industrialist from Vizag is said to have placed a bet over Rs one crores saying that YSRCP will form the government.  

-Siva@Sakshipost