Having won nine out of the 14 seats of erstwhile Mahabubnagar district in the first Telangana Assembly elections in 2014, ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is surely a bit stronger than its rivals in southern part of the State.
Its supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao, with the help of the two ministers from the district — Jupally Krishna Rao of Kollapur and C. Laxma Reddy of Jadcherla — is hoping to improve the score in this elections. Equally optimistic is its main opponent — the Congress party which is contesting from 12 seats. The Congress-led People’s Front candidates M. Chandra Shekar alias Erra Shekar and K. Dayakar Reddy are in the fray from Mahabubnagar and Makthal — both from Telugu Desam party — respectively.
The duo is throwing formidable challenge to TRS nominees Srinivas Goud in Mahabubnagar and Chittem Rammohan Reddy in Makthal. Unlike the previous elections, it is a straight fight between the Congress, which was in power when the Telangana State was created and the TRS that spearheaded the separate statehood movement. An ally of TDP in 2014 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded candidates in all the 14 constituencies this time. Its nominee T. Achari lost to Vamshi Chand Reddy by a slender margin of 78 votes in the previous elections.
Mr. Achari in Kalwakurthy and K. Rathanga Pandu Reddy in Narayanapet are posing serious challenge to the Congress and TRS candidates. Mr. Achari has sympathy among some voters since he had been contesting for past five times and lost every time. Mr. Pandu Reddy secured 23,385 votes in previous elections as an independent candidate and has emerged as serious contender and the recent election meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi only gave further boost to the party.
Another person to watch is K. Shivakumar Reddy of Bahujan Left Front, who secured 37,837 votes as TRS nominee in previous elections from Narayanpet. He joined Congress but entered the contest as the party denied ticket. A close relative of former Minister late Chittem Narsi Reddy, who was slain by Naxalites in 2005, is said to be having considerable strength in the area.
A bastion of Congress, Mahabubnagar emerged as the new political fortress of TDP when it entered electoral arena in 1983. Till then, Reddy community to a large extent and Velamas to some extent dominated the district politics. TDP’s rise changed the political spectrum helping some Backward Classes leaders assert themselves as new political force to reckon with.
In Kodangal, it is a keen contest between Congress nominee and its star campaigner A. Revanth Reddy and TRS candidate and MLC Patnam Narender Reddy, brother of Transport Minister P. Mahender Reddy.
Former minister G. Chinna Reddy of Congress, who won Wanaparthy four times earlier, is taking on S. Niranjan Reddy of TRS. S.A. Sampath Kumar of Congress is seeking a second term from Alampur and is battling it out with V.M. Abraham of TRS. Mr. Abraham won the seat in 2009 with Congress ticket and lost the election in 2014 having contested on TDP ticket.
Veteran politician and former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy, who joined BJP after quitting TDP having played a key role in that party, is in the fray from Congress in Nagarkurnool. A close contest is on the anvil between him and Marri Janardhan Reddy, who won previous election on TRS ticket.
Guvvala Balaraju of TRS, who pushed former minister P. Ramulu of TDP to third position in previous elections, won over Congress nominee Vamshikrishna in Achampet (SC). Another close fight is expected between him and Vamshikrishna this time.
Medical and Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy is facing Mallu Ravi of Congress in Jadcherla. Former minister D.K. Aruna of Congress, who won from Gadwal three times, is in keen contest with B. Krishna Mohan Reddy of TRS.
