Cong banks on Jana, TRS and BJP look for strong candidates

Hyderabad: After the stunning results in the Dubbaka bye-election and the GHMC elections, the by-elections to the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency have become crucial for all parties.

Each of the three leading parties – the ruling TRS, whose sitting MLA’s demise necessitated the bypoll, the Congress, whose traditional stronghold it has been, and the BJP, whose star is on the ascendency in the state and is trying to firm up its position as the replacement to TRS in the state – is preparing to put in their best efforts to win this seat.

Understandably, when discussions on how the three parties will fare is the hot topics across the state, people in the constituency itself are enjoying the buzz, and early attention of the entire state’s polity.

The local buzz across every chai bandi, tiffin center and fish fry stall - from young boys to retired folks to women – and beyond, across the Nalgonda district – is the upcoming by-election, the likely candidates and the factors that would influence the polling.

For the ruling TRS, which has suffered shocking electoral setbacks at the hands of the BJP in Dubbak assembly bypoll and the GHMC elections, winning the Nagarjuna Sagar bypoll is significant to check the saffron’s party rise. The pink party has an importantly necessity to send a message that there is no formidable alternative to it in Telangana. A win here will enable it to argue that BJP’s Dubbak bypoll victory was a flash in the pan.

For the BJP, a victory in Nagarjuna Sagar will help it further consolidate its position as the only alternative to the TRS in the state. It will further cement the narrative that is the party of the future and will likely come to power in 2023. A win here continues the narrative that its recent stupendous performances in Dubbak and GHMC polls were not exceptions, but a state-wide phenomenon and a proof of how quickly yet deeply the party is making inroads into rural pockets.

For the Congress, reduced to a third place by the BJP after Dubbak and GHMC polls, and partly being written off as a spent force, a victory in Nagarjuna Sagar will impart morale and help attempt to bounce back and regain its position as the principal opposition.

Though Congress has the advantage in Nagarjuna Sagar, being known as a Congress fort for decades, from where veteran political heavyweight K. Jana Reddy won for a record seven times, his loss in the last polls show cracks in his dominance. His reputation and credibility got further eroded to some extent with reports of Jana Reddy and his son K. Rahuveer Reddy being in touch with both the TRS and BJP and considering changing parties.

Initially, with neither father nor son denying these rumours, it further fuelled speculations that they may quit Congress to join either the TRS or the BJP. There were reports that both TRS and BJP offered tickets to both father and son. Such rumours sounded credible because neither TRS nor BJP have strong candidates to in the constituency to take on a heavyweight leader like Jana Reddy if he contested from Congress.

However, lately Jana Reddy has been emphasising that he will not quit the Congress and is ready to contest, but instead of him, he would like the party to field his son.

The TRS is pushed back to considering to field deceased MLA Nomula Narasimhaiah’s son Nomula Bhagat to cash in on “sympathy wave”. But it reportedly has second thoughts as the sympathy factor failed to work in Dubbak, and deceased MLA Solipeta Ramalinga Reddy’s wife Sujatha lost to the BJP candidate.

The BJP, on the other hand, has no local strong leader to contest. The party is keenly looking on recruiting a strong leader from either of the other two parties.

Beyond candidates, the issues are surprisingly of how relative underdeveloped and backward the constituency is. Besides a spectacular dam, the hilltops and a few touristy places which continue to remain popular and an attraction for locals and visitors from nearby areas, the constituency’s lesser known villages and towns have been untouched by development largely. The unease and displeasure of most residents of the area is vocal on this count.

While Jana Reddy was repeatedly re-elected for seven terms, his loyal voters got tired of him and voted him out to elect Nomula Narsimhiah in 2018. “We thought that if we gave KCR’s candidate a chance, he would work wonders after his first term. So people here wanted to give him a chance,” said Venkat Reddy, a farmer from Tripurapuram.

It is incredible how neither the previous governments nor the current elected representatives have ever considered the touristic potential of the place. With its natural bounty, reservoirs, check dams and breathtaking scenic views, the prospect of Nagarjuna Sagar as a tourist hub is huge. If it flourished as a tourist destination, the constituency could generate jobs and provide livelihood to a large number of people, especially youth.

“I would prefer voting for a new leader, who can address problems of migration that none of the past elected candidates have been able to address,” says Krishna Naik from Palthi thanda.

The mood is also not favourable for dynasties. While the area’s most popular leader Jana Reddy is trying to push his son Raghuveer Reddy for the seat, he hasn’t been able to garner any love, loyalty or support from people.

“If Jana Reddy garu will contest, we will vote for him,” says Saidulu, a retired Indian Railways employee, who recently moved back home to Venkatapuram near Haliya. “However, I can’t say the same with surety for his son.”

While the BJP will try to harness this mood, constituency watchers say that the TRS may opt for a weaker candidate and campaign and provide tacit support to the Congress. But if two ‘sons’ are given tickets, by both the Congress and the TRS, the BJP might just extend its winning streak.

(Freelancer Varun Gupta contributed to this article with his ground reporting.)