Vote ‘price’ recession proof

Hyderabad, April 14: Candidates from all the major political parties are unlocking their cash chests with the first phase polls slated for April 16.

While candidates whose future will be sealed on Thursday are busy buying votes, those in the second phase are intensifying the campaign which is also turning out to be an expensive affair. Sources said the candidates are spending between Rs 500 and Rs 3,000 on each vote.

The Praja Rajyam candidate from Anakapalle parliamentary constituency, Mr Allu Aravind, is in focus for lavish spending along with candidates for Medak, Mahbubnagar and Peddapalli LS segments which go to the polls in the first phase. Mr Narendranath of Congress, a businessman, is ahead of others in Medak.

In Assembly segments, Qutbullapur tops the list where realtor Mr Kasani Gyaneshwar of the Mana Party, known for mobilising finances to pursue political ambitions, is contesting. He was accused of managing legislators from other parties when he contested and won as an MLC. The price of each vote here is said to be over Rs 1,500.

Even the Left parties are in competition. In some places they have even outsmarted candidates of other parties. In Khammam, a CPI(M) candidate is believed to have spent over Rs 50 lakh so far. In Medak district’s Dubbak Assembly segment, the Congress candidate, Mr Ch Muthyam Reddy, who recently shifted his loyalties from the TD, is finding it difficult to explain to the cadre that he has no more money to spend for campaigning. The cadre, here, suspect him of retaining the funds he got from the high command.

Union minister Ms D. Purandareswari is not spending too much in Visakhapatnam LS seat making it convenient for her rival TD candidate, Mr M.V.S. Murthy, to stop the funds flow.

In the second phase polls, Kovur Assembly segment in Nellore district has attracted attention with rumours that some candidates are preparing to buy votes for Rs 3,000 each.