While majority of the surveys conducted by national and local agencies and media houses predicted that the YSR Congress party is most likely to come to power in Andhra Pradesh with a comfortable majority, Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu says he is 1000 per cent confident of returning to power for a second term.
Though Naidu claims that he has various survey reports before him which say that the TDP is going to win the elections, his comment that even the “satta” and “mutka” (gambler and betting) gangs have been betting their money mostly on the TDP has raised many eyebrows.
Without losing much time, YSR Congress party has castigated the TDP chief for promoting satta and matka markets.
“His comments telling his party leaders that odds are favouring the TDP in the betting markets clearing indicate that he is encouraging the betting mafia,” YSRC MLA G Srikanth Reddy said.
Demanding serious action against Naidu for encouraging betting, Reddy said the TDP chief is desperately trying to keep his flock together as the party leaders were ready to desert him.
“Naidu knows these leaders are acting as a pressure group which is closely monitoring and watching the situation. A revolt is brewing within the TDP which will take shape after the results. So, he wants to appease them by making such comments which he feels will act as a booster dose to the sinking boat,” he said.
He demanded that [enal action should be taken against Naidu for his remarks on encouraging betting despite being the chief minister who is has 40 years of public life behind him.
With no one ready to support him he has been resorting to various gimmicks – right from complaining against the EVMs to kicking up controversies on review meetings.
He is trying to shift the blame of losing the election on others and when his flock became restless he took up the gamble of good odds for TDP to keep them in good humour, Reddy said.