MUNUGODE: Three farmers working in an azure green cotton field near Puttapaka village wave cheerfully at campaign vehicles as they whiz past covering some leafy shrubs in dust. To an outsider, the mélange of party flags and car stereos belting out songs in praise of various politicians might seem like a rude contrast to the peaceful environs.
But this is life in the Munugode constituency for over two months now, its citizens being wooed incessantly by the TRS, BJP, Congress and several other parties. As the bypoll campaign enters its last lap, people say they have revelled in the “goodies” brought in by all parties, but in the matter of who to vote for, the choice is theirs.
When Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy resigned as the Munugode Congress MLA, it initially seemed as if the BJP was all set to pull off another byelection victory after Dubbaka (Raghunandan Rao) and Huzurabad (Eatala Rajender).
Divided between ruling TRS and helpful Rajagopal
The TRS, however, was quick to get its act together. Be it party bigwigs KT Rama Rao, Harish Rao or MLAs, TRS leaders have constantly been on the ground. The sympathy, that Rajagopal garnered when he said that the TRS was deliberately stalling Munugode’s development, appears to have dissipated when the pink party began bandying the news of the Rs 18,000 crore coal contract bagged by the former
after he jumped ship to the BJP.
Itaraju Krishna, a farmer from Puttapaka, wonders how Rajagopal’s move from one Opposition party (Congress) to another (BJP) would help him finish projects in Munugode. “Cherlagudem reservoir works are at a standstill since Rajagopal became our MLA. We know it will be completed if the TRS wins, in the next six months. The link canals near Dindi Project already bring us a good amount of water. No one knows irrigation better than KCR,” he says.
Handloom weavers in Puttapaka, many of them who are Left-oriented, also back the TRS. Weavers C Nagaraju and P Omkar join Rama Rao’s narrative in describing the 5 per cent GST on raw silk material by the BJP-led Centre as a body blow. Sexagenarian Omkar also points out that he gets his Aasara pension on time every month.
In Kompalli village of Munugode Mandal, several women sitting near a temple corner both TRS and BJP campaigners with their demands for double-bedroom houses and jobs for their wards. They talk of how K Prabhakar Reddy (TRS candidate) did not deliver on his promises after he won in 2014.
“Rajagopal Reddy did the same. I doubt if he can bring the Rs 1,100 crore funds from the BJP as he promises. As an MLA, he could have persuaded the TRS govt,” says B Sumanjali, a homemaker whose husband is an autorickshaw driver. Sumanjali isn’t too enthused about voting for Prabhakar Reddy again but shrugs saying voting for the ruling party is the only way to get things moving.
The sense one gets about the TRS candidate is that the voter isn’t too connected to him. However, his personal charisma or lack thereof kept aside, voters believe that party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao will not let them down. Rama Rao’s promise to “adopt” Munugode has broken fresh ground as well.
It isn’t as if Rajagopal is without supporters.
In fact, people recall how he’s personally helped many of them. In Narsimhulagudem village under Nampalli Mandal, an elderly B Chandraiah formerly a staunch Congressman, has moved to the BJP. He talks about how Rajagopal would transfer money to people who had medical emergencies and how he’s gotten some Munugode youngsters jobs in infra companies.
“Rajanna is all heart,” certifies M Jangaiah, scooping up a neat dollop of rice, mixed with dosakaya pappu and pachi pulusu at the Bhavani Hotel where he is having his lunch. “I don’t know about other mandals but six to seven villages here are voting for Rajagopal,” he asserts.
Ch Mutaiah, previously a Rajagopal supporter, wears a pink kanduva now. “You ask why TRS? If Rajagopal Reddy can change his loyalties, so can I,” he says, while gulping down buttermilk after a hard day’s campaign.
In this political tug-of-war, the Congress’ Palvai Sravanthi Reddy appears to be a distant competitor. While political watchers argued that since roughly 50% of Munugode’s 2.4 lakh voters are women, she stood a good chance, voters aren’t too convinced.
The TRS shrugs her off as a weak contestant and BJP’s supporters say she is merely a vote-splitter. TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy is spending most of his time with Rahul Gandhi at the Bharat Jodo Yatra leaving Sravanthi to her devices.
Many, who went to attend Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s public meeting in Bangarigadda village, told TNIE that the ‘Cash-for-MLAs’ controversy wasn’t something they were riled up about.
“We don’t know if the BJP actually tried to lure these four MLAs. What we want to know is whether the TRS will stop dishing out this step-motherly treatment towards us and give us our due,” says Dayakar, a 27-year-old voter. The woman attendees, however, seemed more positive. Walking back with smiles, they tell us that the wind is finally blowing in their favour.