Telangana: A tug-of-war of a different kind in Mahabubnagar LS segment

Hyderabad: A tug-of-war of a different kind is unfolding in Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha segment, wherein the Congress is trying to isolate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate DK Aruna by pulling top leaders from her party into its fold.

The first one to leave the saffron brigade recently was former Mahabubnagar MP AP Jithender Reddy, who along with his son AP Mithun Kumar Reddy joined Congress last month.

The ex-MP was appointed Telangana’s special representative to Delhi and as an advisor on sports affairs.

Mithun had unsuccessfully contested on a BJP ticket from the Mahabubnagar assembly constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections, coming third with 19,919 votes.

BJP’s candidate from Makthal assembly constituency M Jalandhar Reddy (that falls under the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat) who came third in last year’s Assembly elections with 45,455 votes (24.2 per cent), has also joined the Congress.

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As this Lok Sabha constituency also comprises Kodangal Assembly constituency, represented by chief minister A Revanth Reddy, winning the election has become a matter of prestige.

The Congress’ candidate Challa Vamsichand Reddy is also an All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary. DK Aruna’s political rivalry with Revanth has been quite pronounced since he was representing Kodangal as the MLA before the formation of Telangana, when Aruna was a minister in the then Congress government.

The Congress also won all seven assembly segments which are part of the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha segment in the recent elections. But it certainly seems like it’s all in the blood of one family, which is spinning the politics of this region.

There has been criticism within the BJP that Aruna had tried to help her brother and BRS candidate from Makthal constituency Chittem Ram Mohan Reddy to win the Assembly election, but he failed to win.

According to BJP sources, the saffron party’s high command has been apprised of this. The party high command overlooked it, as it is believed to have been convinced that the favour would be returned in the Lok Sabha election.

Chittem Parnika Reddy, who is Aruna’s niece, won from Narayanpet Assembly constituency on a Congress ticket last year by defeating sitting BRS MLA S Rajender Reddy. BJP’s K Ratanga Pandu Reddy had to settle for only third position with 15,078 votes.

There were also rumours making rounds during the Assembly elections when Aruna had decided to abstain from fighting for Gadwal Assembly constituency, her family’s stronghold for many years. Political pundits had speculated that she was indirectly helping her nephew Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy of BRS to win the election by deciding not to contest.

Cross-voting is expected due to many municipal councillors, Sarpanches and ward members of the BRS joining the Congress in the Mahbubnagar seat in large numbers after the Congress came to power. Political analysts feel that the grand old party will try to retain its votes, and will also look to pull BRS votes as well.

For the BJP to win however it will be a challenge. In the previous Assembly elections, the saffron party was able to get about one lakh votes from all seven Assembly constituencies under the Mahbubnagar seat. It will need at least 4 lakh votes to win this Lok Sabha segment.

Both Aruna and Congress’s Vamsichand Reddy are seen as outsiders for the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha segment. While Aruna is an ex-MLA from the Gadwal seat, Vamshichand had represented Kalwakurthy as MLA in the past. Both these constituencies are part of the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha segment. This makes the contest between them even more interesting.

While Vamsichand is banking on the support of 7 MLAs of Congress from his parliamentary segment, there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to DK Aruna’s political strategy.

Despite the BJP not winning a single seat in the segment, and even after major leaders deserted her and joined the Congress, her team is confident about emerging victorious thanks to the complicated web she is connected to in the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha segment.

It is to be noted that the segment was represented by political stalwarts like BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy and Dr Mallikarjun, who was one of the pioneers of the Telangana movement, in the past.

The BRS has fielded sitting MP Manne Srinivas Reddy as the party’s candidate from Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha segment.

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