HYDERABAD: Back in 2014, months after erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, a bleak picture was painted of Hyderabad — of deserted streets, crumbling public services and economic stagnation. This pessimism only grew when the Andhra Pradesh secretariat was moved to Amaravathi. It looked like Hyderabad was getting emptied!
The talk was about the persons of Andhra Pradesh origin, referred to in political parlance as ‘settlers’, migrating en masse back to their homeland. But that did not happen. In fact, thanks to the law and order situation in Hyderabad as well as hinterlands, many people from Andhra Pradesh made Telangana their home.
It seems that for those who migrated right from 1956 and settled here and continued to live for two to three generations, there is no going back to their roots. Now, after four years of the State bifurcation, the reality is that all political parties, in their hunt for votes, just before the Assembly elections, are wooing the “settlers” like never before.
Every political party, even those who raked up the Telangana pride and sentiment, is claiming that they are the real champions of the settlers and that other parties are either hoodwinking or posing a threat to their existence.
How many Andhra settlers?
The fact is that though the Andhra settlers are big in numbers, and settled not just in Hyderabad but across the State, the accurate data of their population is not available. The figures will not reflect in census or in any data. The politicians consider the number to be anywhere between 40 lakh to one crore, including those who have migrated from States other than Andhra Pradesh.
“Andhra Pradesh settlers are in sizeable number. But, we do not have an accurate figure or proper mechanism to count them,” a senior leader from an Opposition party admitted. According to an estimation, Kukatpally, Malkajgiri and Quthbullapur Assembly segments in Hyderabad have huge number of Andhra settlers. In segments like Jubilee Hills, the number will be around 30,000.
“In my segment, settlers are around 30,000-40,000 out of a total of 3.29 lakh voters,” says Maganti Gopinath, Jubilee Hills Telangana Rashtra Samithi candidate and an MLA in the just dissolved Assembly.
“All the settlers in Hyderabad will vote for Telangana Rashtra Samithi, just like they did in GHMC elections. There is no question of settlers voting for TDP in Hyderabad or Congress.” Ironically, Gopinath himself jumped from Telugu Desam Party to Telangana Rashtra Samithi after bifurcation.
Kukatpally Telangana Rashtra Samithi candidate Madhavaram Krishna Rao too had the similar feeling and is confident of winning the elections.
Another leader from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) described how they derive on an approximate figure of settlers: “As our leaders visit each and every basti in the city, they make a note of Andhra Pradesh settlers,” he claimed.
Though Tamilians, Marwadis and Marathis could also influence the elections in several Assembly segments, it’s mostly Andhra Pradesh settlers who seem to matter to the netas.
“We have decided to set up a welfare board for all the settlers. Not only Andhra Pradesh settlers, people from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Odisha, Mahrashtra and other States have also settled in Telangana. The proposed board will take care of their welfare. We will include this in our manifesto,” BJP state manifesto committee chairman NVSS Prabhakar said.
Caste formula
Andhra Pradesh settlers, it is believed, will not vote en bloc to any particular party. There will be a division of vote on the caste lines too, according to political analysts. A large number of Kammas, Kapus and Balijas from coastal Andhra Pradesh and Reddys from Rayalaseema have settled in Telangana and their votes are likely to be divided accordingly. However, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi may have an advantage as the presence of Jana Sena and YSRCP may indirectly benefit the ruling party.
Tickets for settlers
Another way of wooing settlers is by giving tickets to prominent personalities among them. Telangana Rashtra Samithi, for instance, has given tickets to eight such persons of Andhra Pradesh origin.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao portrays himself as an opponent of semantics like ‘settlers’. Recently, he even blamed the media for terming them as settlers.
“Why do you (reporters) claim they are Andhra Pradesh people? All those settled in Hyderabad are Hyderabadis. Those settled in Telangana are Telanganites. Once the Sate was bifurcated, all those living in the Telangana have become ‘citizens’ of the State,” he had claimed. This, rather sudden, love is not without reason.
There is considerable concern within the pink party that the grand alliance of Congress, Telugu Desam Party and others might provoke settlers and wean them away. “The petty politics done by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu will create fear and insecurity among Andhra Pradesh people settled in Telangana state,” TRS chief Chandrasekhar Rao himself said recently.
JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN
(LOK SATTA PRESIDENT)
KT Rama Rao’s statement seeking harmony among all Telugu people is pragmatic and wise. If voting is predictable and group-based, that group loses in the long term. If all Kammas always vote for TDP, all Reddys for YSRCP and all Kapus for Jana Sena, they suffer in two ways: the party will help a few elites & ignore needs of real people; other parties will not care for them.
NIMMAGADDA SITA
(POLITICAL ANALYST AND AP SETTLER)
Political analyst, AP settler and former TDP leader Nimmagadda Sita opined that the a majority of Seemandhra settlers were not against TRS. “The Seemandhra settlers never faced any problem in the last four years under TRS rule. Though, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao is using harsh language against AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu, the settlers could understand Rao’s attack is only a political strategy. If KCR and KTR used soft words while addressing AP settlers, it would fetch more votes to TRS,” Sita observed. “The emotional outbursts witnessed in Telangana before the formation of Telangana state have been subsided now. If, TRS fielded settlers as their candidates, the AP settlers will definitely vote for them in Hyderabad,” Sita felt. She, however, said that the Congress too could get some percentage of share in Seemandhra voters. If Sonia Gandhi campaigned in Telangana, there would be some change in the state political scenario, Sita observed.
KARNE PRABHAKAR
(TRS MLC)
The four-year rule of TRS, which witnessed no law and order problem, has disappointed the Congress, which tried to create panic among AP settlers. KCR and KTR spoke in unison on settlers. Congress’ allegations that KCR and KTR spoke in different tunes on settlers are wrong.
TRS candidate tours Srikakulam
With a large number of AP settlers in his Kukatpally Assembly segment, Kukatpally TRS candidate Madhavaram Krishna Rao toured in Srikakulam district on Tuesday and distributed rice, clothes and groceries worth Rs 10 lakh to the people affected by cyclone Titli in Meliyaputti and Tekkali mandals
by ap settlers
Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Jubilee Hills, Khairatabad, Malkajgiri, LB Nagar, Uppal, Quthbullapur, Sanathnagar, Bodhan, Nizamabad (Rural), Bhupalpally, Sirpur Kagaz Nagar, Mulugu, Huzurnagar, Kodad, Miryalaguda, Korutla, several Assembly segments
in the erstwhile Khammam district
BY MARATHIS
Jukkal, Boath and Mudhole (EC also published electoral rolls in these three segments in Marathi)
BY OTHER SETTLERS
Anglo-Indians in Tarnaka. Tamilians, Keralites, Kannadigas and Rajasthanis and Gujaratis in Begum Bazar. Those with links to Gulf countries in Barkas