After the month-long campaign of the ruling TRS in Nagarjunasagar, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will give his final touches at a public meeting to be held in Halia on Wednesday.
Interestingly, this will be his second public meeting in the same town within two months, the last one being on February 10 and reflects the keenness of the party not to leave any scope for the opposition parties. His first visit to Halia was termed ‘Thanksgiving meet’ for he laid foundation stones for lift irrigation schemes, among other development goals for Nalgonda. Will he concentrate on just the welfare schemes of the government or go all out against Congress’ Jana Reddy will be keenly watched at the meeting.
The conduct of the meeting itself was in a jeopardy with some farmers and some Independents moving the High Court to stop it citing rising cases of COVID. With a lakh people likely to be brought in for the meeting, they argued that it would be a super spreader of the virus. However, the court cleared the obstacles for the meetings.
But TRS leaders, well-prepared to fight the Congress giant K. Jana Reddy, who had been Nagarjunasagar’s legislator for seven terms and a celebrated State politician, were ahead in their homework even though their candidate’s name was not ready till a day before the closing of nominations.
‘Divide and Rule’ was TRS’ mantra to woo voters mandal-wise, with at least one legislator and his team of activists taking over full control.
The campaign predominance was also visibly Yadav-centered, ever since the party declared deceased legislator Nomula Narsimhaiah’s son Nomula Bhagat as the candidate, and prominent Yadav leaders, including BJP contenders, switched parties.
Minister for Animal Husbandry Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and dozens of others made the constituency their home, carrying the face of CM KCR and car, the electoral symbol, every day.
Mr. Jana Reddy, who had addressed one public meet, had suggested a ‘no-campaign challenge’ to all contesting parties to set an example on ethical elections, but the contestants mostly read it as the septuagenarian’s inability to fight the election.
And, while the TRS asked, “Is 35 years not sufficient to develop a constituency?” the Congress asserted, “The roads, even in remote villages, you are holding the shows on and campaigning now were laid by Jana Reddy.” Clearly, ‘Development’ is the most politicised word in the constituency.
