TDP set to sweep Godavari-Krishna belt ahead of phase two

Vijaywada: With only a day left before the electioneering in the second phase of elections for 140 state assembly and 20 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh comes to an end, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party seems to be breezing ahead of the ruling Congress party in the crucial belt of East and West Godavari and Krisna districts of coastal Andhra region.

How crucial this boiling pot of different castes like Kammas, Kapus, Setti Balija and the scheduled caste is can be reflected in the fact that it accounts for 50 assembly and 7 Lok Sabha seats. The region, through which the two major rivers Krishna and Godavari flow, is a mix of largely fertile delta and pockets of dry uplands.

Initially it was thought that Godavari belt would be swept by a strong wave in favour of Mega star of Telugu films Chiranjeevi as he hails from West Godavari district and has pockets of concentration of his Kapu caste. But the situation on the ground was completely different and the odds seem to be on the rise against Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam party.

While PRP was definitely causing more damage to the ruling Congress party by eating in to its vote banks and weaning away the Kapu supporters of the party, the TDP is staging a dramatic come back in its former stronghold, which was wrested by Congress in 2004.

Five years ago so strong was the Congress wave that it won 44 of the 50 assembly seats in the belt. Now in the same belt TDP was easily winning 23 seats against ten of Congress and four of PRP. There was a tough fight in nine seat and one seat was likely to go to the CPI.

The entire electoral battle in this region is revolving around the caste factor and personality cults and there is no single major issue dominating the campaign. As the case has come in to play a big way, the political and electoral rivalry is leading to the social tensions at a large scale.

It has already led to many small skirmishes and at least one major case of caste violence in Konaseema region on Sunday when Kapus and other castes clashed. There were signs of similar troubles in several places where Kapus were in a significant size.

A constituency wise assessment of the prevailing mood among the people, the caste considerations, candidates and issues indicate that the TDP was comfortably ahead and the region was going to make a big contribution in dramatic improvement in Chandrababu Naidu's political fortunes.

Of the 7 Lok Sabha seats in three districts, the three parties seem to be having mixed fortunes.