It now appears that KCR’s decision to give ticket to PV Narasimha Rao’s daughter and educationist Vani Devi for the Graduate MLC constituency of Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar was a political masterstroke. It has turned the tables on favourite BJP and ensured a TRS win.
By pitting Vani Devi against Ramachandra Rao, KCR managed to get second preference votes in a big way for the TRS. Both Vani Devi and Ramachandra Rao are Brahmins and KCR has realised that even those Brahmins who want to vote for Ramachandra Rao would give their second preference vote to Vani Devi. This would help the TRS sail through. So, KCR focused on TRS core voters and relied on Brahmin voters to cast their second preference vote to TRS. This strategy has paid off handsomely for the TRS. If one observes the first preferential vote, the margin between Ramachandra Rao and Vani Devi was very low – in fact as less as 6000 votes. But, when the second preference votes were counted, most of those who chose BJP for their first preference vote, have given their second preference vote to Vani Devi. As a result, the victory margin got widened and Vani Devi’s victory became possible.
TRS insiders say that as many as 70 MLAs were pitted to canvass for Vani Devi in the constituency. Each MLA organised seven to nine meetings every day. The ministers too were asked to stay put in the Graduate constituency area and campaign for the part. All these have paid rich dividends for the TRS.
