Munugode: Campaign ends, parties nervously go silent, people wait for voting day

MUNUGODE: The three-month-long campaign for a bypoll, which all three major contending parties took as a prestige fight, acquired a narrative central to Telangana’s politics and is being projected as a bellwether that will predict the future, ended on Tuesday.

The high-pitched and shrill campaign acquired great significance over the past one month, which saw the TRS, the BJP and the Congress fighting door-to-door in every village, on the streets, in the media and social media platforms – all to win the approval of a majority of those who will vote in the Munugode Assembly constituency byelection on November 3.

The three primary contestants, and a dark horse which could be play an X-factor in the form of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), in the overall 47 candidates in the fray, turned the election into a high-stakes exercise.

The zone turned into a festive yet combative feast of a sea of colours, unending cacophony, and a closely contested campaign, in which the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) – which fielded over 100 of its senior elected leaders in the battle, sending them camping in villages – is perceived to be having an edge over its immediate rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

There was a perceptible spring in the step of TRS leaders and cadre visible throughout the final day of campaign across the constituency. There was an infectious energy at its various meetings and rallies, with most of them expressing confidence that the election has all but been wrapped up for their party.

The mostly cloudy morning on Tuesday over Munugode saw some sharp showers. It also witnessed a pitched battle between the worker of the TRS and the BJP in Palivela village, who attacked each other with sticks and stones, leaving a few on both sides with nasty injuries.

Both parties filed complaints with the police against each other, while party leaders from the two sides held their opponents responsible for a “planned” and “premeditated” attack. The BJP went the whole length, alleging it was an attempt by the TRS leaders and cadres to murder their Huzarabad MLA Etala Rajendar.

Elsewhere, on the campaign trail, Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy from the BJP, the man’s whose resignation from his membership of the Congress and as an MLA, which set the ball rolling, Palvai Sravanthi from the Congress, and Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy from the TRS made their last pitch to the voters, addressing a plethora of large and small but raucous public meetings amidst rallies.

Addressing a meeting in Chandur, Rajgopal Reddy, accompanied by state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, senior party leaders D.K. Aruna and Gangidi Manohar Reddy, said that the TRS was bent upon destroying democracy and called upon people to vote for the BJP “in this battle against autocratic family rule.”

He said that since Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao did not want any independent voice in his party, he had nominated a “dummy candidate” in the form of Rajgopal Reddy, who, he added, was “involved in crimes including land grabbing, misappropriation of government funds” and was “a broker.”

“The battle for Telangana statehood was not fought so the state could become the fiefdom of one family. I urge voters to give a decision that will kick TRS out, make history and chart a new course for Telangana,” Sanjay said.

“It is only the BJP which can send KCR to prison for his crimes and corruption,” he said, receiving a thunderous applause. The election, he said, “was not about Rajgopal Reddy but for the future of Munugode and its people. I appeal to everyone to vote for BJP.”

Prabhakar Reddy closed his three-month long campaign by taking part in roadshows led by party working president K.T. Rama Rao, finance ninister T. Harish Rao, and energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy. Jagdish Reddy made a comeback to the campaign after serving a two-day ban imposed on him by the Election Commission of India for violating the model code of conduct.

In each of the meetings, Prabhakar Reddy made emotional appeals for his re-election as MLA of Munugode, the seat he won in 2014 but failed to retain in 2018. He sought another opportunity to develop the constituency on all fronts in the remaining 14 months tenure of the current Telangana Legislative Assembly.

Prabhakar Reddy took part in road shows held in Narayanpet, Chandur and Munugode mandals on the final campaign day.

Prabhakar Reddy called upon voters to teach a fitting lesson to Rajgopal Reddy, who he said had forced an unnecessary bypoll for the sake of a Rs 18,000-crore contract, awarded by the BJP-led Central government to his company. Rajgopal Reddy quit the Congress and his MLA seat not for development of constituency or welfare of people but for his selfish business interests, the TRS candidate said.

“It has been four years since Munugode elected Rajgopal Reddy as Congress MLA in 2018. In the last four years, he hardly visited his constituency. He did not step into nearly 100 villages out of total 176 villages in the constituency after becoming MLA. He never bothered about the development of constituency or welfare of people. He was only concerned about his selfish business interests and contracts. People of Munugode now have a golden opportunity to teach Rajgopal Reddy a fitting lesson for betraying them,” Prabhakar Reddy said while addressing a road show in Narayanpur.

He urged voters to bless the TRS, Chandrashekar Rao and himsef, by ensuring a landslide victory in the bypoll and pave the way for all-round development of the constituency.

Palvai Sravanthi, addressing a ‘Mahila Garjana’ meeting just outside Munugode town, said her victory would be the victory of poor. She said both TRS and BJP were using their money and muscle power to corner the Congress.

In an emotional speech, during which she recalled her father Palvai Govardhan Reddy’s service to the constituency as an MLA, Sravanthi said she was inspired by him.

“I stayed in politics despite all the challenges and fighting those with money power. I don’t have any business, only the name of my father. Those who received his support, when they stepped into politics have sold themselves to other parties,” she said.

“At one stage I felt like I lost all the strength to fight. But this is not just my fight but is about fighting for poor people. I request you to vote for me,” she said, spreading out the pallu of her saree in the traditional form of asking for help by a woman.

She said her ‘ordeal’ in Munugode campaign started with the torching of her party office in Munugode a month ago. “Later my convoy was attacked and staff was beaten up. When partymen questioned those who defected to other parties, their limbs were broken. Even my ratham (campaign vehicle) was not spared,” she said.

As the campaign ended, it brought down the curtains on one of the longest and most keenly fought electoral battles, with the ball now being put in the people’s court.