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Naidu, Krishna, Patnaik, Chamling hope to stave off
New Delhi, Feb 22: Like the NDA government at the Centre, the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Sikkim are also hoping to stave off anti-incumbency factors and emerge victorious in the assembly elections that will be held in their states along with the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
New Delhi, Feb 22: Like the NDA government at the Centre, the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Sikkim are also hoping to stave off anti-incumbency factors and emerge victorious in the assembly elections that will be held in their states along with the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
All four chief ministers have opted for early dissolution of the assemblies, months ahead of schedule, and decided to go to the people on the strength of their performance.
The opposition in these states, on the other hand, is hoping to unseat them through new alliances and by trying to pin them down on local issues, especially those related to development.
With the dates of the polls slated to be announced later this week, media reports from the four states show that the major political parties are yet to begin serious campaigning, though there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes activity, mainly to work out new alliances and seat sharing arrangements. It would appear that, apart from the state-level issues, the alliances that the major parties are able to stitch would be an important factor that will determine the outcome of the coming elections.
In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu has managed a head start over his main rivals, the Congress, by announcing the dissolution of the assembly even before there was any serious talk about the general elections. He is seeking a third term in office.
In Karnataka, Chief Minister S M Krishna of the Congress is making a bid for a second term by highlighting his government's performance.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of Orissa is seeking a second term while his Sikkim counterpart Pawan Chamling is looking for a third innings in office.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Telengana issue and alliances will be major factors in the elections. Unlike the 1999 general elections which the TDP won hands down, the assembly polls this time present the ruling party with twin hurdles.
Since the last elections, the demand for a separate Telangana state has assumed a feverish pitch. While the TDP has stuck to its stand of a 'United Andhra,' what has caused the party discomfiture is the fact that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), spearheading the separate statehood movement, has been flirting with the idea of forging an electoral alliance with the Congress.
Bureau Report
The opposition in these states, on the other hand, is hoping to unseat them through new alliances and by trying to pin them down on local issues, especially those related to development.
With the dates of the polls slated to be announced later this week, media reports from the four states show that the major political parties are yet to begin serious campaigning, though there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes activity, mainly to work out new alliances and seat sharing arrangements. It would appear that, apart from the state-level issues, the alliances that the major parties are able to stitch would be an important factor that will determine the outcome of the coming elections.
In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu has managed a head start over his main rivals, the Congress, by announcing the dissolution of the assembly even before there was any serious talk about the general elections. He is seeking a third term in office.
In Karnataka, Chief Minister S M Krishna of the Congress is making a bid for a second term by highlighting his government's performance.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of Orissa is seeking a second term while his Sikkim counterpart Pawan Chamling is looking for a third innings in office.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Telengana issue and alliances will be major factors in the elections. Unlike the 1999 general elections which the TDP won hands down, the assembly polls this time present the ruling party with twin hurdles.
Since the last elections, the demand for a separate Telangana state has assumed a feverish pitch. While the TDP has stuck to its stand of a 'United Andhra,' what has caused the party discomfiture is the fact that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), spearheading the separate statehood movement, has been flirting with the idea of forging an electoral alliance with the Congress.
Bureau Report