Who will win in Nagarjuna Sagar?
TRS has fielded Narsimhaiah’s 37-year-old son Nomula Bagath Kumar in the by-election. Pitting a youngster against a seasoned politician like Jana Reddy is an audacious move by TRS, particularly considering that there is no visible sympathy wave in his favour
image for illustrative purpose
Congress stalwart and seven-time Legislator K Jana Reddy is fighting his long political career's toughest poll battle
Nagarjuna Sagar: THE very mention of the word Nagarjuna Sagar conjures images of the breathtaking Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the world's largest masonry dam.
The place also has a political significance, thanks to Kunduru Jana Reddy, the senior-most Congress leader, who hails from here. A seven-time MLA and one who is respected for his clean track-record, 74-year-old Jana Reddy also enjoys the distinction of being the longest serving cabinet minister in Telugu politics.
But Reddy, who played a key role in the formation of Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) that spearheaded the Telangana statehood movement, tasted a shocking defeat in his home-turf when he lost to Nomula Narsimhaiah of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2018.
The untimely demise of Narasimhaiah has necessitated the by-election, which is slated for Saturday. However, there have been some significant changes in the political equations with TRS getting a rude wake-call after losing Dubbaka Assembly seat to BJP in the by-election. To prove that this was not an isolated case, the BJP did better than what was expected and made significant inroads in the recent GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) elections.
A win in the ensuing election is essential for Jana Reddy and to the Congress as it is at its lowest ebb in Telangana. Will he deliver the goods in the twilight of his otherwise distinguished political career? This remains to be seen.
Perhaps, hoping to reap the benefits of a possible sympathy wave, the ruling party fielded Narsimhaiah's 37-year-old son Nomula Bagath Kumar to take on old-foe Jana Reddy. Pitting a youngster against a seasoned politician like Jana Reddy is an audacious move and undoubtedly a calculated gamble by TRS when there is no visible sympathy wave in his favour.
My recent travels across the constituency and interactions with voters revealed that TRS succeeded in changing the by-elections into an electoral battle between Jana Reddy and KCR-led TRS.
Ironically, Industries Minister K T Rama Rao and Finance Minister T Harish Rao are conspicuous by their absence. This is more so because at least one of them has played a key role for the ruling party in every elections that TRS has fought, more so in by-polls. Welfare schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima and pensions will obviously come in handy for the ruling party. It also succeeded in weaning several keypolitical opponents, including sarpanches, into its fold. Furthermore, it is trying to send a strong pro-incumbency message that as TRS is in power, a pink party victory will lead to the constituency's overall development. That apart, TRS enjoys the advantage of being in power and the official machinery at its disposal. Moreover, TRS also boasts of well-oiled poll 'management' machinery and resources. So, it's not easy for its rivals to match it on this front.
On his part, Jana Reddy is banking on the development he has taken up during his long stint as MLA and minister.
No doubt, this constituency owes its excellent road network and irrigation infrastructure to the Congress veteran. He has also deep-rooted contacts in every village and lost no time in tapping those contacts, this time around. Furthermore, his supporters are asking voters to give him a last chance as he nurtured the constituency and developed it from scratch.
Congress working president Anumula Revanth Reddy slogged it out for a week in the constituency and tried to infuse confidence among the cadre. If Congress wins, he should get the credit.
BJP, though not a strong player in the past, made a smart move by fielding Dr P Ravi Kumar, a medical professional from Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. STs are a dominant electoral force in the constituency.
From what was once a traditional vote-bank for Jana Reddy, a section of the community has since drifted towards TRS. The BJP candidate's presence will cut into the votes and erode the support base of Jana Reddy among STs.Local BJP leaders say Kadari Anjaiah Yadav would have been a better choice for the saffron party. Yadav joined TRS furious that BJP had denied him a ticket for the election.
"It's a tough electoral battle. The main fight is between Jana Reddy and TRS. However, it's too early to predict a winner as everyone is campaigning hard and leaving no stone unturned," Challa Buchaiah, a farmer, told
Bizz Buzz at Peddavoora, a mandal headquarters in Nagarjuna Sagar constituency.
As the farmer said, the main political contenders are going all-out to triumph in the battle for one-upmanship. Reddy has to reckon with his career's toughest battle, while it is seemingly an uphill task for Congress.
Will Nagarjuna Sagar voters gift a last hurrah to the battle-scarred Jana Reddy? Well, this can only be answered on May 2.
