Desperate to win Adilabad, BJP leaves no stone unturned

Adilabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pinned its hopes on the Adilabad MP seat in Telangana, and the party is doing its best to win the seat. Party leaders are also trying to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a public meeting in Adilabad.

Former MLA and ‘Thudumdebba’ state president, Soyam Bapurao’s name was officially announced as the contestant for the Adilabad MP seat. Mr Soyam who was denied a ticket for the Adilabad seat by the Congress, quit the grand old party and joined the BJP.  

BJP leaders are of the opinion that they have a good vote bank in Old Adilabad district as this came to fore in the last Assembly elections. BJP candidates got a considerable number of votes from their respective constituencies. Two of the BJP leaders took second position in Adilabad district.

BJP candidates, Payal Shankar got 47,444 votes and came second in Adilabad, Rama Devi got 40,602 from Mudhole and secured second place, while Swarna Reddy got 16,900 and took third place in Nirmal in the recently held Assembly polls. BJP Adivasi leader Satla Ashok who contested from Khanapur got 23,556 votes as the Adivasis community extended their support.

According to the 2011 census, the total population in the integrated Adilabad district is 27 lakh. Among them the tribal population is 4.9 lakh. Among the tribals, the Adivasi population is 2.25 lakh, whereas the Lambada population is 1.25 lakh. However it is the non- tribals who are the deciding factor in Adilabad.

BJP leaders have intensified their election campaign through their frontal organisations working in villages and towns. The party seems to have a strong base among the urban population rather than in the rural areas. In this election, the party is focusing on youth votes.

However, the TRS has its own advantages. As a ruling party its MLAs were elected from the nine Assembly constituencies of the 10. In addition, Congress Asifabad MLA Atram Sakku has joined the TRS. TRS candidate and sitting MP, Godam Nagesh enjoys the support of the TRS MLAs and is confident of winning the seat.  

Between the Congress and the TRS, there is a difference of only 1.4 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha segment of the Assembly elections.

Senior leader Ramesh Rathod who is contesting as a Congress candidate is reviving his old contacts.  Mr Ramesh hopes to emerge as the winning candidate, when the Adivasis votes split between Soyma Bapurao of the BJP and Godam Nagesh of the TRS.