Huzurnagar byelection result banks on settlers

HYDERABAD: With the Telugu Desam’s unexpected decision to contest the Huzurnagar byelection, votes belonging to settlers and the Kamma community have become crucial in deciding the fate of Congress and TRS candidates.

In the Huzurnagar Assembly constituency, there are about 50,000 settler and over 11,000 Kamma voters. In the previous assembly general elections, Congress, Telugu Desam, CPI, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and Inti parties had formed a People’s Front and contested the elections.

All these parties had then supported the Congress candidate, TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy from the Huzurnagar. Reddy won the election, defeating his nearest rival Saidi Reddy of TRS by a 7,422-vote majority.

Going by the trend witnessed in the assembly general elections, while voters belonging to the settler and Kamma communities voted for TRS in the GHMC limits, majority of them preferred non-TRS candidates in the districts, including Huzurnagar.

The scenario has changed now with Telugu Desam  entering into the fray from Huzurnagar and fielding a woman hailing from the Kamma community. The Congress candidate is Padmavathi Reddy, wife of Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy.

The winning chances of Congress and TRS candidates will depend on how many settler and Kammas the Telugu Desam candidate will secure.

A senior political leader said if the TDP secures 15,000 to 20,000 votes, it will spell trouble for Congress. Had the TDP not been in fray, these votes would have gone to the Congress.