Campaign ends in Seemandhra today

• Congress and Jai Samaikyandhra Party out of contention
• Kiran aggressively campaigns for JSP; several leaders exit
• It’s left to Cong top brass Sonia, Rahul to enthuse cadres
• Leaders of all parties resort to no-holds-barred attacks on rivals

Hyderabad: The curtains will come down on the high decibel election campaign in Seemandhra on Monday evening.With Congress not in contention for power in Seemandhra, the fight has narrowed down to TDP versus YSRCP. The election campaign is emotionally charged. While TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu is seeking to stage a comeback, YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is giving a tough fight and has emerged as a Chief Minister hopeful.

Jagan is trying his best to carve out a political niche for himself. Both the leaders are vying with each other to project themselves as constructive leaders who alone can rebuild the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh. While Naidu is seeking a sixth straight term from Kuppam assembly seat, which he has been winning since 1989, Jaganmohan Reddy is contesting from Pulivendla Assembly segment. A total of 333 candidates are in the fray for 25 Lok Sabha seats and 2,243 for 175 Assembly seats in Seemandhra. As many as 3.68 crore voters are eligible to exercise franchise on May 7 from 7 am to 6 pm.

The campaign in Seemandhra particularly during the last one week has turned vitriolic. While the TDP has taken the line that Jagan has no moral right to be the Chief Minister since he is facing disproportionate assets cases, the YSRCP has been harping on the slogan that Naidu has no record of keeping his promises.

The 65-year-old Naidu who has been on a non-stop campaign in the region claims that if voted to power, the TDP-BJP combine would develop the Seemandhra region and turn it into 'Swarna Andhra.' Taking potshots at Jagan, Naidu said, "Jagan only knows how to construct prisons and not capitals. Those who looted the country are in the YSRCP and it is a party of thieves."

Jagan promises to bring back the golden era of late CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He has been telling people that he should be preferred over Naidu since he is young and has a better vision and programmes which can be implemented unlike the false promises being made by Naidu. “I cannot lie to you as Naidu does and show heaven in my palm,” he adds.

While both the leaders have been levelling charges against each other ranging from corruption to false promises and their role in the 'division' of Andhra Pradesh, Congress charioteer and Union Minister Chiranjeevi has been targeting both Naidu and Jagan.

The high voltage campaign got further boost as BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed various public meetings. Adding star quotient to the campaign Pawan Kalyan took up a whirlwind tour of the region. Naidu's brother-in-law and top Telugu actor Balakrishna, who is contesting from Hindupur Assembly segment in Anantapur district, campaigned for the TDP. Jaganmohan Reddy, his mother Y S Vijayamma, who is the honorary president of YSRCP and Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha candidate, and sister Sharmila have been canvassing for the success of the party. Former Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has also been campaigning for the Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP) extensively, despite the fledgling outfit suffering early setbacks after some prominent leaders left it.