Cong takes a beating in AP; wins in Gujarat
At a time when the Congress desperately needed a breather after its debacle in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the results for by-polls in six states announced on Wednesday came as a mixed bag for the party.
However, the party suffered setbacks in Andhra Pradesh, where the vexed issue of Telangana became the reason for the defeat of its candidates in all the seven assembly constituencies. K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) showed its dominance in the region and won four seats. The TRS also helped an Independent win one seat. The BJP managed to win one seat in the region.
The YSR Congress, headed by former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's son Jaganmohan, won the Kovur Assembly constituency in coastal Andhra Pradesh in its first foray outside the home base of Kadapa in the state’s Rayalaseema region.
Speaking on the poll results in Andhra Pradesh, Congress leader Keshav Rao said lack of clarity on the issue of Telangana led to the party’s rout. “The issue was about Telangana. So unfortunately, while the Congress and TDP could not give clarity on Telangana, one party said we are with Telangana today and they have won,” said Rao.
In a significant upset, the Congress wrested the an Assembly constituency in Gujarat, ruled by Narendra Modi.
Besides Karnataka and Gujarat, the Congress also got a boost in Kerala, where the party–led United Democratic Front government retained the assembly seat in the Piravom by-poll.
