It is going to be a triangular contest between the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, the Telugu Desam Party and Congress in the Nampally Assembly segment. Part of the Secunderabad parliamentary constituency, the segment has over 2.70 lakh voters.
Political analysts feel it will be a tough contest between the MIM and the TDP this time around. The Majlis has fielded former Deputy Mayor Jaffar Hussain Meraj, while TDP has chosen Feroz Khan to contest.
Mr. Khan, earlier with the PRP, joined the Congress when the party merged with it. Now, he has switched over to the TDP after being denied ticket to contest from Nampally. Like his Majlis counterpart, Mr. Khan has created a good base in the constituency and is likely to give a tough fight, it is said.
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Areas like Bazarghat, Mallepally, Vijayanagar colony, Red Hills, Ahmednagar and First Lancer form part of this constituency. In 2009, Virasat Rasool Khan emerged victorious by defeating Praja Rajyam Party candidate Mohd. Feroz Khan by 6,799 votes. While Mr. Virasat got 34,439 votes, Mr. Feroz polled 27,640 votes. Congress candidate E. Vinod Kumar stood third with 22,520 votes.
The segment was carved out of the Asifnagar constituency following delimitation in 2009. Former Minister D. Nagender had held sway over here and won the seat in 1994, 1999 and 2004. Prior to that, MIM held the seat in a few elections.
The constituency is a mix of slums and residential colonies that are home to members of different faiths and social status – a mix of working class, State and Central government employees.
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The Majlis is banking on the developmental works undertaken in the constituency and the prevalent ‘Modiphobia’.
“After getting elected, I will introduce the Nampally Constituency Privilege Card (NCPC), which will have all details of the public representatives and officials for the benefit of the people. We have already taken up a lot of developmental activity in the constituency in the last five years,” says MIM candidate Jaffar Hussain.
Mr. Feroz banks on the public welfare activities he undertook in the area as a philanthropist and social worker, to garner votes. “I am always amongst the people in the constituency and understand their problems well. In times of crisis, I have been in the forefront and they (voters) know they can trust me over a new face,” says Mr. Feroz.
However, both contestants share a common agenda – of making the segment a practical secular constituency and ridding it of ‘rowdyism’. The Congress is trying to make a comeback by promising a makeover of the constituency.