Hyderabad: Just a month ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, the Congress appears to have a clear edge in the triangular contest in the combined Nalgonda district. There are Nalgonda and Bhongir Lok Sabha constituencies in the combined Nalgonda district. While the BJP is trying to gain ground in the erstwhile combined Nalgonda district, considered as the Congress bastion, the main opposition BRS is missing from the Lok Sabha election buzz after its rout in combined Nalgonda district in the recent Assembly polls.
The Congress proved its mettle in the combined Nalgonda district in recent Assembly polls. Out of 12 constituencies in the district, the Congress bagged 11 seats, while the BRS managed to win only one seat (Suryapet) with a slender margin.
After the formation of Telangana state in June 2014, the Congress lost power to the BRS twice in 2014 and 2018 Assembly polls. Despite this, the Congress won the Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat in the Lok Sabha polls held simultaneously with Assembly polls in 2014 and won Nalgonda and Bhongir Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which were held just four months after Assembly polls in 2018.
On the back of its stupendous performance in the recent Assembly polls in combined Nalgonda district, the Congress is confident of bagging both Nalgonda and Bhongir Lok Sabha seats with a record majority in Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 13.
The Congress has fielded Kunduru Raghuveer Reddy, the son of veteran Congress leader Kunduru Jana Reddy, from Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat and TPCC vice-president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy from the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat.
The ministers from combined Nalgonda district, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who won from Nalgonda and Bhongir Lok seats respectively in 2019 elections, are going all out to repeat the victory of the Congress in both these seats with a huge majority in upcoming Lok Sabha polls. In fact, both are competing with each other on securing higher majority over the other in Nalgonda and Bhongir Lok Sabha seat.
Raghuveer is making electoral debut from Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency. His brother Kunduru Jaiveer Reddy, who made electoral debut in recent Assembly polls held in December 2023 from Nagarjunasagar won the seat with a huge margin of 56,210 votes over incumbent BRS MLA Nomula Bhagat. Against this backdrop, it is expected that Raghuveer's victory will be a cakewalk in the Lok Sabha elections. Nalgonda district has traditionally been the stronghold of the Congress.
Jana Reddy was elected to Legislative Assembly seven times from 1978 to 2018, which included his victories from the erstwhile Chalakurthi constituency five times (1978 to 2009) and present Nagarjunasagar constituency twice in 2009 and 2014 Assembly polls.
The BRS on the other hand has fielded Kyama Mallesh, and Kancharla Krishna Reddy as candidates from Bhongir and Nalgonda Lok Sabha seats, the little-known leaders in the district.
The BJP fielded Sanampudi Saidi Reddy for Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat, the former BRS MLA from Huzurnagar, who lost to Congress in recent Assembly polls, and joined BJP last month. The BJP named Boora Narsaiah Goud as candidate for the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat. Goud won from the Bhongir LS seat on the BRS ticket in 2014 and lost to the Congress in 2019. He subsequently quit the BRS and joined the BJP in October 2022.
On March 30, Uttam Kumar Reddy held the Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency preparatory meeting at Mattampally in Huzurnagar. More than 10,000 Congress workers from the Assembly constituencies of Huzurnagar, Kodad, Suryapet, Miryalaguda, Devarkonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, and Nalgonda attended, which was addressed by AICC Incharge Deepa Das Munshi, ministers Komatireddy Venkatreddy and Tummala Nageshwara Rao, senior leaeder K Jana Reddy, Nalgonda LS candidate K Raghuveer Reddy, MLAs, MLCs, and other leaders.
"I have been elected from the Nalgonda region seven times as MLA and MP. Your unwavering support for the Congress has been instrumental in my electoral victories. This is the result of the Congress cadre's hard work, sacrifices, and dedication. During my tenure as the Nalgonda MP, I have facilitated significant development. Now, as the charge of Nalgonda seat, I consider it a challenge not only to win but also to secure the highest majority in Telangana and across India," Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Responding to his comments, minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said that he will strive to secure a higher majority for the Congress in the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat than Nalgonda.
