Huzurnagar: Even as the attention of the state’s politically active citizenry is riveted on the Huzurnagar Assembly byelection, people in the predominantly cement factory and limestone mining region of the Suryapet district, part of the Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency, are enjoying the attention but are largely bifurcated in support of the two predominant parties in the fight that promises to be close — the Congress, whose stronghold it has been, and the ruling TRS.
A plethora of intertwined factors are at play but, all things considered, the Congress is holding on to a slim edge despite the government having made it a matter of prestige to up the ante, and stakes, to wrest the seat from the main Opposition party and, more significantly, from state Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who vacated the seat post-winning the Lok Sabha election from Nalgonda and whose ticket has now been given to his wife Padmavati Reddy.
The principal narrative, and the axis of contention, is that the TRS, pointing to the the lack of development in the constituency, promises a big transformation if its youthful candidate, Mr S. Saidi Reddy, an NRI and former Canadian citizen, who has given up a successful business abroad to serve Telangana state, is elected.
The Congress, dismissing Mr Saidi Reddy as an opportunist upstart with criminal intent, is sure that the Huzurnagar byelection represents something larger, a fight for self-respect and a platform to serve notice to a whimsical and oppressive government on behalf of the state.
With the leading parties fielding Reddy nominees, despite a Backward Class candidate, Dr K. Rama Rao, being fielded by the BJP, there is no perceptible caste divide here. The presence of a small but growing Christian population and a moderate-sized and visible Muslim population, given the nature of the two rivals, leaves no communal appeal. The Reddys, other upper castes, Muslims and OBCs sit at tea corners, divided only along party lines and fight over the merit of the party or the candidate.
“Saidi Reddy is a son of the soil. Educated in the district all along, he went to Canada and built a successful business. He sacrificed his Canadian citizenship and businesses inspired by K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s call to make a bangaru (golden) Telangana. He lost the election narrowly last December, because Uttam was portrayed as a potential CM candidate. Saidi, despite his defeat, stayed on amidst the people, trying to solve their problems. Uttam has never worked for the people,” says Mr Kannan, a key member of the Saidi Reddy campaign. “Huzurnagar people have decided to give Saidi a chance. As a ruling party MLA, he will develop the constituency.”
“People here have always stood by the Congress. They will resist all temptations and brave the threats of the TRS and vote for the Congress. It will be the beginning of the end for the TRS. Broken promises and lies, tyranny, corruption of one family, insulting pride of people of Telangana have all reached a peak under KCR’s rule. Padmavati Reddy will win with a huge majority,” says Mr Shekhar Reddy, who oversees her campaign.
Congress leaders argue that development took place during its decade-long rule, especially under the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, in whose Cabinet Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy served. They say that Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy, who has never lost an election, and was a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force and flew MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft, has enough goodwill to pull off another win for the Congress. The problems of Huzurnagar differs across mandals and villages, but lack of skills and jobs amongst the youth is high. Both candidates promise to set up world-class skill development centres to make a difference. Drinking water supply to houses is a common issue, after which partisan debates take over amongst not only the cadre but also the common people.
The battle is warming up, with a line-up of star campaigners set to hit the constituency in the next week. Mr Chandra-sekhar Rao will be addressing a public rally on October 18, TRS working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao will be in the area on three days before the campaign ends, besides several other ministers, MPs, MLAs and others.
Ending all internal squabbling that marked the fight for a ticket between various leaders and factions, the Cong-ress is coming together to put a fight. Leaders including Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, T. Jeevan Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar have been on the campaign trail. Mr A. Revant Reddy and Mr Komatireddy Venkat Reddy are also canvassing.
In this intense, and bitter, battle, only things an onlooker can be certain are that it is a two-party fight between the Congress and the TRS, with the BJP and TD unlikely to even save their deposits, and neither can be certain till the last vote is polled.
