NIZAMABAD: If reports about the final agreement between grand alliance parties☺— Congress, TDP, TJS and CPI — are to be believed, TDP is said to be getting zero seats in erstwhile Nizamabad district. More than anger, ground-level TDP members feel surprised with this development as the region is considered to have a sizeable number of ‘settlers’, a political term for people from the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh.
Most political parties agree with the fact that settlers in the region, especially in Nizamabad Rural, Nizamabad Urban, Bodhan and Banswada, make up quite an important vote bank. In recent meeting in Nizamabad district, even TRS chief K Chandrasekhar admitted to this by appealing to settlers to vote for TRS. It may be noted that TRS, due to its prominent role in the Telangana movement, has indulged in a lot of negative rhetoric about settlers in the past.
It is learnt that TDP leaders had asked Congress for three seats in erstwhile Nizamabad district. TDP had argued for the Balkonda ticket for A Mallikarjuna Reddy, son of party’s former Armur MLA A Annapurnamma. Similarly, it has asked for Nizamabad Rural ticket for Mandava Venkateshwar Rao and Banswada for Amarnath Babu. It is also rumoured that Manda Venkateshwara Rao does not want to contest even if he is given the ticket due to his opposition to an alliance with Congress. Rao said he did not want to comment on any rumours or speculations. “Please wait for a while the official list of candidates since Congress and TDP leadership are working to finalise it soon,” he said. Meanwhile, a TDP leader, said, “We will probably not contest any seat here and will have to campaign for a Congress candidate,” he said.