Exit Polls Predict Clean Sweep by TRS in Narayankhed

Hyderabad: Exit polls predict a clean sweep for the ruling Telanagana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the Narayankhed by-election.

It is estimated that the TRS might gain over 70 percent of the votes cast in the by-election which saw over 81 percent of voters casting their votes.

The polls were necessitated following the death of senior Congress MLA Kista Reddy. The party gave the ticket to his son Sanjeeva Reddy to contest the polls. It has been a tradition to give party ticket to a family member of a deceased MLA or MP, and the family member almost always wins the by-election. However, the predictions for Narayankhed are different from the established pattern.

TRS leader and Major Irrigation Minister Harish Rao, who is camping in Narayankhed since 20 days has gone all out to campaign for the TRS candidate M Bhupal Reddy. He interacted with the people besides holding public meetings in the constituency. He also roped-in TRS president and chief minister K Chandarsekhar Rao to campaign for the party.

Election analysts say that Harish Rao's strategy to bring-in natives of Narayankhed, who have left the constituency in search of work, will work in the party's favour. It may be recalled that Harish Rao ensured that the natives returned to their villages on the date of polling and cast their vote. It is estimated that more than 50,000 such migrants managed to return on the day of the polling to cast their vote.

Counting of votes is scheduled for February 16.