Telangana polls: Triangular contest takes shape in Kamareddy segment

Kamareddy: Kamareddy assembly seat is set to witness a three-way contest in the coming elections with BRS at an advantage on account of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) contesting from here and the party's organisational prowess having an edge over the relatively weak opposition.

State Congress President Revanth Reddy and BJP's K Venkata Ramana Reddy are pitted against the CM. The electoral battle in Kamareddy constituency has intensified with two political heavyweights ready to take on each other on November 30.

Reddy picked up the gauntlet after BRS chief chose to contest from a second seat, Kamareddy, after five-time MLA Gampa Govardhan was dropped. As a result, former Congress Minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir had to shift to Nizamabad Urban constituency.

Reddy being an outsider and Shabbir moving to another constituency, it has become a challenge for the Congress, while the BJP has fielded a local candidate who finished third with 15,000-odd votes in the 2018 assembly polls.

For KCR, the Kamareddy assembly seat is a native place as he was born in Konapur village in maternal grandparents’ house. His close extended family members still live in Kamareddy and are actively supporting him.

The "local versus outsider" has become a poll narrative of BJP candidate Ramana Reddy, who while campaigning in Konapur village of Bibipet mandal, said, "If KCR wins, you will have to finally approach Gampa. If Revanth Reddy wins, you will have to approach Shabbir bhai. You cannot directly meet the elected MLAs. But I am always available for you, Keep this in mind and take a call," said Ramana Reddy while campaigning in Konapur village.

He promised to provide free medical and education, and also set up a Raithu Kendra in the constituency if he wins.

Many Congress supporters and workers feel that the party would have given a tough fight to BRS had the ticket been given to a local candidate. Revanth Reddy's brother Kondal Reddy is managing the campaign in the constituency while the former is busy canvasing across the state.

"Had Shabbir been given the ticket, it would have been a tough two-way fight between BRS and Congress. Revanth Reddy has no connection with people and he is an outsider for us," travel agency owner Naveen told PTI.

In most of his speeches, Reddy is attacking the BRS and not talking about development works he would do if he wins from here, he said adding that people are more concerned about development.

Many people are hoping that the KCR's victory would help in speeding up development programmes in Kamareddy, which is strategically located in the midst of Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar, Adilabad, and Nirmal districts. The erstwhile Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts border Maharashtra.

Among key problems facing Kamareddy, lack of irrigation facilities tops the list. People are waiting for the government to implement a few irrigation schemes that would get water to their parched fields.

Another issue affecting the farmers here is the master plan announced for the development and expansion of the district headquarters town which they think will take away their farm lands. However, it was shelved following protests from farmers.

Dying jaggery industry is yet another issue which many farmers and traders feel should be revived.

There are about 2.40 voters in the constituency spread in six mandals.