Winner takes all in GHMC poll!

While the ruling TRS in Telangana has registered a landslide victory in the GHMC elections, a curious aspect in the poll is the overwhelming vote to only one of the candidates in all the 150 divisions. If the TRS had lost deposits in 15 divisions, the Congress made a record loss of deposits in 126 divisions. The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen, whose strength is the Muslim vote in various divisions, had lost deposit in 10 divisions. The TDP lost deposits in 36 divisions. What does the losing of deposits by all parties imply? Clearly, there was no wave in favour of the TRS, although in the electoral arithmetic it had won 99 divisiions, one short of 100. If we refresh memory, 100 seats was the challenge traded between the TRS and the TDP. Revant Reddy, TDP working president, had challenged that he would quit politics and go away from Telangana if the TRS could touch the magic figure of 100 in the poll. How could he say with such confidence even as the TRS leaders, including IT Minister K. Taraka Ramarao, were predicting a landslide? Poll pundits should go into the curious phenomenon in the GHMC poll. For the layman of course it is as clear as daylight that money bags may have played a greater role. A sum of Rs.2000 per vote and Rs.2 lakh for any leader who could promise bulk vote for a candidate had done the rounds in the run-up to the GHMC poll. Winner takes all, as simple as that.