Situated in the heart of the city, Musheerabad presents a combination of under-development, chaos, neglect, filth and apathy. Slums dominate the area and they continue to remain slums rather than enjoying the fruits of development.
A few middle class colonies, however, are the only spots that have seen some modernity but they too suffer with unbridled construction activity and the problems attached to it. Musheerabad, Ramnagar, Vidyanagar, Kavadiguda, Bholakpur, Baghlingampally, Domalguda and Chikkadpally areas constitute the Assembly segment.
A seat wrested by the Congress from the TRS in 2008 by-elections, Musheerabad elected Manemma, wife of former Chief Minister, M. Anjaiah again in 2009 general elections. But she was not seen in public life since then due to ill-health. Her absence has affected visible change in terms of good roads and drainage facilities. “We have not seen her even once in the last five years,” says Vasu, a resident of Ramnagar.
Congress has denied her the ticket and chosen former Union Minister. P. Shiv Shanker’s son, Vinay Kumar, a surgeon by profession. The BJP-TDP has fielded Dr. K. Lakshman, who represented the constituency in 1999 and lost in 2004 by a narrow margin to Nayani Narsimha Reddy of TRS. The TRS, however, has now ignored Mr. Reddy and instead chosen to field Mutha Gopal, who has been in TDP for nearly two decades, and crossed over a few days ago.
Mr. Lakshman exudes confidence that he would emerge victorious as the Congress candidate, Vinay Kumar is unknown to people here. “People are fed up with the Congress and TRS has little presence here,” says Mr. Lakshman.
He is confident that the middle class and educated sections in Vidya Nagar, Domalguda, Chikkadpally and Nallakunta will vote for the BJP due to the ‘Modi wave’.
Dr. Vinay Kumar agrees that he is a newcomer. “But my freshness is my advantage and Congress cadres are supporting me,” he says.
“I was invited to politics when my brother Sudheer Kumar passed away. But I was more interested in social service then. I was always politically connected and committed to the uplift of the poor.”
