As the electioneering in Telangana is reaching a feverish pitch with just three weeks left for polling, it’s time for punters of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in East and West Godavari districts to put their money on the high-stake battle.
In fact, the betting has begun much before the nomination process has started on November 3, but the stakes are changing with every passing day as survey reports by various agencies are coming out with interesting predictions.
Crores of rupees are changing hands in Bhimavaram and Narsapuram areas on betting on Telangana elections.
As of now, the punters and betting rings are putting their money in favour of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Despite the reports that the Congress is giving a tough fight, the general perception among the Andhra people that KCR would do a miracle and return to power for a third consecutive term.
On Wednesday, the stakes are 60:40 in favour of the BRS, with the punters predicting that it would get at least 56-61 seats, while the Congress would get 47-52 seats. There are absolutely no takers for the Bharatiya Janata Party; yet the punters are betting on whether it would get a single digit or a double digit.
Apparently, the people betting on the Telangana elections are going in a very calculated way and the stakes are changing from district to district. “As the polling day approaches fast, the stakes will change and who knows, those who bet on the Congress victory make big money,”
Interestingly, the betting gangs are also putting their money on the elections to four other states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. In Rajasthan, the odds are in favour of the BJP, which is expected to get 117-122 seats in the 200-member assembly and the Congress may get 65-69 seats.
In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, it is going to be a neck-to-neck battle, with the punters betting on the Congress which, they predict, may get 113-118 seats while the BJP may get 105-110 seats. In Chhattisgarh, the odds are in favour of the Congress which may retain the power with 52-55 seats in the 90-member assembly and the BJP will get 35-39 seats.
The general elections to the Lok Sabha and the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh are still five months away, but the betting operators in the Godavari districts have already started putting their monies on betting.
According to their predictions, the BJP will get 270-275 seats at the centre and retain power, whereas the YSR Congress party will have a tough time in Andhra and might get 77-83 seats in the 175-member assembly.
As the elections approach fast, the predictions will change and so will be the stakes of the betting operators on the political parties.