It is not going to be a smooth sailing for Peddapalli MP and industrialist G. Vivekanand, who earlier contested on the Congress ticket, then shifted his loyalty to TRS and is now back in the Congress seeking re-election from the Parliamentary constituency, which was earlier represented by his father and senior Congress leader G. Venkatswamy.
Unusual turns and twists are taking place in Peddapalli with the re-entry of Dr. Vivek into the Congress. Dreams of aspirants such as former legislator Kasipeta Lingaiah and former ZP Chairman Adluri Laxman Kumar, who were gearing up to enter the fray, have been shattered.
The differences with former Minister D. Sridhar Babu, who has a considerably sway in all the four Assembly segments of Manthani, Peddapalli, Dharmapuri and Ramagundam in Karimnagar district and his influence in Chennur, Bellampalli and Mancherial Assembly segments in Adilabad district, is likely to influence the electorate .
Besides, the Congress cadres who joined the TRS along with their leader are a worried lot over the political developments. However, close confidants of the Peddapalli MP said that Dr. Vivek would regroup all the Congress rank and file and pacify the agitated leaders before elections. Mr. Venkatswamy, popularly known as Kaka, would be also roped in to seek the support of party cadres.
The positive aspects of Dr. Vivek include revival of long-pending Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI), Ramagundam at a cost of Rs.5,000 crore, launching of several trains in the coal-belt region and other developmental works. Besides, he also won accolades for social service programmes through Visaka Charitable Trust especially in the education sector by sanctioning furniture for schools, sinking borewells to provide water, etc.
Voters also feel that Dr. Vivek had joined the TRS following the announcement of Chief Minister post to a Dalit in Telangana State by its president K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
In the meantime, TRS, which received a severe blow following Dr. Vivek’s defection, is on the mission of searching a suitable candidate to fight against him. The party is examining the names of Dharmapuri legislator Koppula Eshwar, balladeer Rasamayi Balakishan and former MP C. Sugunakumari. With the TDP and BJP likely to forge an alliance, the TDP is contemplating to field Dr. Sharath of Mancherial.
In this coal miners-dominated segment, the Singareni coal miners issues such as waiver of income tax, jobs to dependent children, opening of new underground mines and increasing the generation capacity of AP Genco in Ramagundam, etc. would dominate the electioneering.
