BJP’s Yendala Laxminarayana shot into the limelight in 2009 by defeating the then Congress PCC president D Srinivas from Nizamabad Urban Assembly constituency. Not only had he punctured the aspirations of Srinivas who was nurturing chief ministerial ambitions, he also dealt a major blow to the senior Congress leader when he won a renewed mandate in a by election held in 2012.
To continue with his success, the BJP face in Nizamabad now seeks an elevation to the Lok Sabha while facing formidable rivals in the form of TRS supremo’s daughter K Kavitha and two-time MP Madhu Yashki Goud(Cong) running for Nizamabad parliament constituency.
In midst of his election campaign, he talks to Express about his chances in the all important constituency.
Excerpts
Who do you think is your main opponent and what are your winning chances?
No doubt, the stakes for BJP here are huge and we are winning. There is a slight tilt in favour of TRS but, I think the TRS, which is seeking support from MIM to garner votes by appeasing the Muslim community, should be defeated. More than that, there is an unnecessary hype surrounding the TRS. Since, the NDA forming the government at the Centre is imminent, people will support a national party rather than a regional player like TRS.
Don’t you think the tie up up with the TDP, which is considered anti-Telangana, will mar your party’s fortunes in the region?
Telangana issue has been resolved now. Now, the determining factor is development and the credibility of a party. The negative image of the TDP in Telangana, as some believe, could play a spoilsport is wrong notion. In fact, TDP is promoting the idea of installing a BC chief minister and the BJP has also picked up a leader from a weaker section as its PM candidate. TDP has also been credited with a development-oriented government. So there is no problem with the alliance.
Nizamabad has sizeable Muslim population. Do you think there is a Modi wave that could fetch you good results or he could damage your chances by consolidating minority votes against you?
It has already been proved that Modi has been successful in generating employment for youth cutting across different religions and castes in Gujarat. Projecting him as communal leader and running a hate campaign against him should be seen as the sheer political opportunism of the Congress and MIM. In places like Jamnagar(Gujarat), which has about 90 per cent of minorities, have voted for Modi because he is a competent leader.
What are development activities you intend to take up if you win the election?
Generating employment is my prime concern, because Nizamabad is known for people migrating to the Gulf in search of jobs. I will strive for establishing a board for farmers who grow turmeric and will make efforts to establish agriculture-based industries. Providing nine hours power to farmers will be on the top of my priority list.