Irrespective of who’s going to win the ballot-battle for Munugode Assembly seat, taken as a matter of prestige by three major political parties — Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Congress — the ‘real’ winner this time is likely to be the power and influence of money.
The otherwise sleepy villages of Munugode constituency going for byelection on November 3 are abuzz with unprecedented political activity ever since the Election Commission announced the bypoll on October 3 with all and sundry of the three major political parties swarming the narrow bylanes to win over the electorate.
“Never in our lifetime we have witnessed politicians making a beeline to our villages day-in and day-out and trying to influence us this way,” a middle-aged shepherd at Kankanalagudem said when asked about the goings-on.
The ruling TRS has literally deputed all of its machinery to Munugode with ministers, legislators and MPs given specific tasks of touching every section of the electorate and BJP trying to match TRS by descending as many leaders as possible, including the lone Union Minister representing the State. On the other hand, the Congress campaign managers are sandwiched between taking care of the Rahul Gandhi’s padayatra and the election campaign.
Ever since the issue of alleged poaching of TRS MLAs has come out in open on Wednesday last, it’s seen overshadowing the issues of development raised now and then in the campaigning by parties. Earlier too, the campaign revolved around why the byelection is necessitated rather than the interests of the Munugode electorate.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s public meeting near Chandur with pointed accusation at the BJP leadership on alleged poaching of TRS MLAs has enthused the party cadres, who feel it will benefit the party’s prospects.
The Central Industrial Security Force and local police checking vehicles ahead of the Munugode Assembly byelection. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Police check-posts
One common feature visible in most of the 115-odd villages during a visit to the constituency a couple of days back was police check-posts and tents erected mostly by TRS and BJP to serve lunch and dinner not only to their cadres canvassing for the party candidate but also to others whoever want to have food. Small grocery shops and food points have roaring business over the last three weeks with both the visitors and villagers being the patrons on a large-scale.
“Supply of mutton, chicken and liquor to households during evenings has been going on for over one week and some parties have even distributed kitchen and other household articles such as pressure cookers and wall clocks,” Venkatesham, a farmer of Devireddygudem, said stopping short of dropping the names of parties.
Interaction with individuals and groups at different places such as Chandur, Sarvail, Ghattuppal, Choutuppal, Vattipalli and others as also in the farm fields in several other villages corroborated the views of Mr. Venkatesham. People at many places admitted that they were getting safe drinking water for the last 4-5 years and have no fluoride problem now.
“Almost all the poultry farms in the constituency and neighbouring areas have gone empty with constant orders for chicken over the last 10 days. They have no birds left even for regular business,” Mallesham of Velmagudem, who visits villages with his tanker-mounted specially-fabricated tractor to spray pesticide on crops, said explaining the large scale spend by the parties in the ongoing byelection.
As part of implementation of the model code of election conduct, the election authorities have covered flag-posts of all parties, to ensure that there no undue publicity to any party at Vattipalli Crossroads near Marriguda in Nalgonda district, Munugode Assembly constituency going for bypoll on November 3. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
The contest is practically tipped to be a triangular one between TRS, BJP and Congress although a total of 47 candidates are in fray. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) too are making their bit to dent into the support of the three front-runners.
With the parties likely to step-up their efforts to influence the electorate in their own ways during the last 48-hour period before the commencement of polling, their mood swings are likely to step-in before they reach the polling stations. “There appears a keen contest as of now but don’t how people will turn at the last moment,” said Rajanna of Ramreddypalli.
