KHAMMAM: Once considered a lose wicket for the TRS party, Khammam is now turning into a bastion for the ruling party. In the 2014 elections, the TRS managed to win only one seat but in just two years, the strength of the party has increased to seven, post the Thursday’s Palair bypoll victory along with defections from other parties.
Three MLAs and an MP of YSRC and two MLAs of Congress have now joined the TRS in the district.
Party leaders feel that TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to rope in senior leader Tummala Nageswara Rao into the party has given the desired results.
Meanwhile, the sympathy factor did not work in the favour of Congress as it failed to retain its seat in Palair.
For the first time, the TDP and YSRC supported Congress in Palair bypoll to defeat the TRS, but the people gave a verdict in favour of the ruling party.
Though the Congress had utilised the services of all its senior leaders for the Palair bypoll, all the efforts proved futile against a TRS wave.
For the first time since 1962, a candidate won by a huge margin in Palair. TRS candidate Tummala Nageswara Rao won with a highest majority of 45,682 votes.
In 2014, Ramireddy Venkata Reddy won here bu a margin on 21,863 votes over nearest TDP rival Maddineni Baby Swarnakumari.
After 2014, when the ruling party won only one seat (Kothagudem) out of 10 assembly seats in Khammam, KCR decided to strenghten the party bu inducting TDP candidate Tummala Nageswara Rao.
KCR made Tummala an MLC and gave him a free hand to strengthen the party in the district. Tummala played a key role by recruting YSRCP MLAs B Madanlal of Wyra, Aswaraopet MLA Tati Venkateswarlu, Yellandu Congress MLA Koram Kanakaiah, Khammam MLA Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Pinapaka MLA Payam Venkateswarlu and other leaders into the TRS.
Party leaders also said that the TRS plenary was held in Khammam recently to strengthen the party in the district.
Also, importance was given to irrigation projects in the district and one such project was laying of foundation stone for Bhaktha Ramadas Lift Irrigation project which aims to provide water to about 60,000 acres to Palair constituency.
Pink Supremacy
From just one seat in Khammam in 2014 elections, TRS now has seven MLAs into its fold
Party cadre credit KCR’s move to rope in Tummala Nageswara Rao for success in district
Focus on Bhaktha Ramadas Lift Irrigation project also seen as positive move to garner votes
