The TRS looked set to form its second successive government in Telangana with a thumping majority, according to the latest vote count on Tuesday pointing towards a clear vindication of party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's popularity. Soon after the vote count began at 8 am, it became clear that Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party will sweep back to power with almost three-fourths majority.
Rao had dissolved the Assembly in September, eight months ahead of schedule, in a political gamble that paid off handsomely, as the party is expected to improve on its previous strength of 63 in the 119-seat Assembly. "The people reposed faith in the leadership of our chief minister and they did not believe in the disinformation campaign of the opposition," said T Harish Rao, a minister in the outgoing government and a nephew of Rao.
Celebrations erupted in TRS offices throughout the state as well as in the Telangana Bhavan, the party headquarters in Hyderabad. TRS activists dancing to drum-beats, burst firecrackers and distributed sweets.
However, not all the cabinet ministers are heading towards a win.
A quick read on the leading and trailing candidates of TRS' cabinet:
1. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) (Gajwel) is Leading
2. Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy (Suryapet) Leading
3. Jogu Ramanna (Adilabad) Leading
4. Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao (Sirchilla) Leading
5. Patnam Mahender Reddy (Tandur) Trailing
6. Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Parige) (Banswada) Leading
7. Thanneeru Harish Rao (Siddipet) Leading
8. T Padma Rao (Secundrabad) Leading
9. Charlakola Laxma Reddy (Jadcherla) Leading
10. Chandulal Azmeera (Mulug) Trailing
11. Jupally Krishna Rao (Kollapur) Trailing
12. Tummala Nageswar Rao (Palair) Leading
13. Allola Indrakaran Reddy (Nirmal) Leading
14. Talasani Srinivas Yadav (Sanath Nagar) Leading
