The Khairatabad constituency, comprising large number of slum settlements and voters from the working class, has witnessed intense election campaigning. The battle lines are clearly drawn between Congress and Telugu Desam in all the seven divisions of the constituency even as the Lok Satta Party is putting up a strong fight in the core Khairtabad division.
With Minister for Health and Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagendar promising to deliver 100 seats in the GHMC elections, the urgency in the Congress campaign is visible. The recent visit of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu to the constituency and good response from public has also buoyed the spirits of local TDP workers.
The ground zero of the election campaigning in the constituency is the core Khairatabad division. “We will win it hands down. Only the Congress party can solve the issues that afflict the slum dwellers in this Constituency,” says Congress candidate from Khairatabad division Shaikh. Shareef.
There are seven divisions in this constituency – Himayatnagar, Barkatpura (Part), Khairatabad, Panjagutta, Somajiguda, Srinagar Colony (Part) and Banjara Hills.
The constituency has several slum settlements like M.S. Maktha, Indira Nagar, B.J.R. Nagar, Maruthi Nagar and Raj Nagar, which are plagued by a host of issues like water stagnation, regularisation, lack of proper housing and above all lack of proper health and sanitation facilities.
The Telugu Desam workers in the constituency are clearly worried by the possibility of a split in their vote bank by Lok Satta and Praja Rajyam Party. “Public in slum settlements are exhausted by the hollow promises of Congress and TDP. This is perceptible in Punjagutta, Somajiguda and Khairatabad and our party will gain from it,” feels D. Ramchandra Rao, Lok Satta candidate from Somajiguda division.
In the Khairtabad division, the Congress party is also dealing with a rebel candidate in G. Krishna Yadav, who till recently was corporator from Khairatabad. Despite such challenges, Congress workers are a confident lot. “Our government is doing well and public have faith in us. We will be successful,” is the sentiment among them.
