RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Even as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) launched by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is planning to contest in Andhra Pradesh in the next general elections, there seems to be little support from the people of the seven mandals of Telangana which were merged with Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation.
Though the BRS may be in the fray in other Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the State, the focus will be on the segments in which the seven merged mandals fall. Chintur, Yetapaka, Kunavaram and VR Puram are now part of Rampachodavaram Assembly segment in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
Velerupad and Kukunoorpally now come under the purview of Polavaram Assembly constituency in Euru district.Political leaders and elected representatives from the region are of the view that the contest will be mainly between the YSRC and TDP and the presence of BRS may not have any impact.
Mariyadas, a YSRC leader from Polavaram, opined that no one will entertain BRS in the area. “KCR and his TRS never had a base in the area for the past two decades,” he said.Social activist NVVST Srinivasa Rao said, “People are wise and they may either opt for YSRC or TDP in the ensuing elections.’’
The four mandals of Chintur, Yetapaka, Kunavaram and VR Puram, Bhadrachalam, Vajedu, Charla and Venkatapuram were merged with Khammam district in 1959 for administrative convenience. During bifurcation of the State, four of the five mandals except Bhadrachalam were merged with Andhra Pradesh.
“We never sailed with Telangana. Our origin and ancestors are in Andhra. At the time of floods only, some people used to make noise against the merger. However, once the compensation issue settled there would be no issue. We go to Bhadrachalam regularly for our daily needs and it does not mean that we are fans of KCR and BRS. It is a myth,’’ he said.
Showkat Ali, a social activist of Chintur, said the people forgot TRS and its leader KCR. “Many areas are being submerged under Polavaram backwaters. People will not be bothered about KCR and BRS. All they want is adequate compensation and speedy rehabilitation of the oustees,” he said.
CPI leader Degala Ramakrishna said the TRS was weak in the area since 2000. “Khammam people rally behind the Left parties, TDP or Congress.After bifurcation of the State, tribals started supporting either the YSRC or TDP. BRS will not get any support in the seven merged mandals,’’ he said.
As bifurcation of the State happened due to KCR only, people are still not able to digest it, he added.TDP leader Dontu Mangeswara Rao said there may not be any impact of BRS in the four mandals.