Hyderabad: With the long-awaited Telangana polls which is scheduled today, the eyes of the nation are fixed on this southern state as all eyes anticipate the outcome of this major event. In this article, we will take a look at some of the key candidates vying for the top post in the state and get to know their details and their platforms.
Here’s the list :
Gajwel:
• Gajwel constituency is located in Siddipet district and is KCR’s home turf.
• KCR has won from Gajwel in 2014 and 2018 with massive victory margins of nearly 20,000 and 50,000 votes, respectively.
• This time, KCR is facing his friend-turned-foe Eatala Rajender in Gajwel.
• Rajender was a minister in KCR’s Cabinet and was ousted after being found involved in a land-grabbing controversy in 2021.
• He switched to the BJP after his tussle with KCR and was re-elected as MLA in the Huzurabad byelection.
• The Congress has fielded former MLA T Narsa Reddy.
• There are a huge number of Independent candidates in the fray.
Kamareddy
• KCR is contesting from Kamareddy, a district carved from Nizamabad in the north of Telangana.
• KCR’s daughter K Kavitha, who was an MP in Nizamabad, lost her seat to Dharmapuri Arvind in 2019.
• Kamareddy’s proximity to Maharashtra may open up possibilities for KCR’s national plans.
• KCR is taking on the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief A Revanth Reddy in Kamareddy.
• Revanth is also contesting from Kodangal, where he had won as the MLA in 2014 and 2009 on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) tickets.
• BJP’s Venkataramana Reddy has also emerged as a strong contender in Kamareddy.
Kodangal
• TPCC president A Revanth Reddy has a massive battle ahead of him to bring back Congress to its ‘former glory’ in the state.
• Revanth became a two-time MLA in the Kodangal Assembly constituency in 2009 and 2014 as a TDP candidate.
• He was also known to work for the ABVP and BJP in his early political career.
• In 2018, he lost to BRS’ Patnam Mahender Reddy, who is the party’s candidate this time as well.
• After his loss, he contested the Lok Sabha elections in Malkajgiri and won.
• Kodangal is a tricky seat for Revanth, just as his second seat Kamareddy is.
• Leaders like the Komatireddy brothers (Venkat Reddy and Raj Gopal Reddy) and Uttam Kumar Reddy are said to be displeased with Revanth’s leadership and his potential to be the next CM, prompting them to maintain distance from his campaigns.
Goshamahal.
• In 2018 Assembly elections, BJP won only one seat
• T Raja Singh, a repeat hate speech offender, has won the seat from three-time MLA Mukesh Goud in 2014.
• Goshamahal has a Hindu majority, though it falls under Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency.
• Lodh Rajputs, the community that Singh belongs to, is dominant here – and so is Hindutva.
• Development has taken a backseat in Goshamahal.
• Raja Singh is contesting against BRS’ Nand Kishore Vyas (Nandu Bilal), who hails from the Marwari community and has considerable support among Muslims.
• Congress’ candidate in Goshamahal is Sunitha Rao.
Chandrayangutta
- Chandrayangutta is a constituency with 65% Muslim voters and has been dominated by the Owaisi brothers for more than two decades.
- AIMIM does not issue manifestos while contesting elections but door-to-door campaigns and accessibility at the party’s headquarters in Darussalam have helped them keep the region close.
- Speculation was rife this time that AIMIM would field Akbaruddin’s son Nooruddin as the candidate in Chandrayangutta.
- Akbaruddin is contesting against B Nagesh (Naresh) of the Congress, Muppi Seetharam Reddy of the BRS, and Kowdi Mahender of the BJP.
Nampally
- Former poll allies AIMIM and Congress are battling it out in the Nampally constituency.
- The AIMIM has replaced sitting MLA Jaffar Hussain Meraj, with Mohammed Majid Hussain, a close confidante of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
- Majid Hussain was a GHMC corporator and later the Mayor and is largely credited for the AIMIM’s performance in Bihar in the 2020 elections.
- He is facing competition from Congress’ Feroz Khan, a staunch AIMIM critic.
- Khan had contested against the AIMIM three consecutive times in Nampally and had emerged as the runner-up.
- He had also contested against Asaduddin Owaisi during the Lok Sabha polls.
Sircilla
- The textile hub of Telangana, Sircilla has been a KT Rama Rao (KTR) stronghold since 2009.
- KTR won the 2009 united Andhra Pradesh elections by a wafer-thin margin of 171 votes, but cut to 2018, his victory margin was over 1 lakh votes.
- The Telangana government’s efforts in reviving the handloom sector in the constituency through the Bathukamma saree distribution has won him support from weavers over the years.
- This time, KTR is facing Congress’ KK Mahender Reddy and BJP’ Rani Rudrama Reddy.
- The Sircilla segment falls under the Rajanna-Sircilla district, which neighbours Siddipet, where CM KCR’s nephew T Harish Rao is contesting.
- Harish Rao, who holds three of the most important portfolios of health, irrigation, and finance in the government, is seen as KCR’s right-hand man and key poll strategist.
- Harish Rao is said to be comfortably placed owing to the lack of a strong opposition.
- He won the 2014 and 2018 elections by margins of around 1 lakh.
Karimnagar
• BJP vs BRS in Karimnagar Assembly seat
• Sitting MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar vs three-time sitting MLA and Cabinet Minister Gangula Kamalakar
• Sanjay Kumar has considerable presence in the constituency
• Kamalakar and Sanjay Kumar belong to the Munnuru Kapu (BC) community
• Karimnagar constituency has a considerable Muslim population (18 percent)
• BRS turncoat Purumalla Srinivas is the Congress candidate in the fray.
Jubilee Hills
• Jubilee Hills falls under the Secunderabad Parliamentary constituency
• Congress has fielded former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin
• BRS has chosen sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath
• AIMIM has fielded Mohammed Rashed Farazuddin
• Maganti Gopinath had won from Jubilee Hills twice, in 2014 and 2018
• Azharuddin won the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad
• He lost in 2014 while contesting the Tonk–Sawai Madhopur seat in Rajasthan
• He has been active in Telangana politics since 2017
• He was appointed as the working president of the TPCC in 2018
