KHAMMAM: The Telugu Desam Party’s decision to hold a mammoth public meeting in Khammam on December 21 has resulted in the calculations of both the Congress and BRS for the upcoming Assembly elections going awry. TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu will address the December 21 meeting, and party workers are working overtime to mobilise a huge crowd.
The TDP won two seats -- Sattupalli and Aswaraopet -- in Khammam in the 2018 Assembly elections, and it can be safely said that the party still enjoys some popularity in the district. Of the remaining eight seats, the Congress had won six, the BRS (then TRS) one and the remaining one went to an Independent candidate.
Now, the BRS is struggling with group politics while the Congress is facing a shortage of leadership, though its vote bank and cadre base remains strong in all the 10 constituencies. The BJP has no cadre base or leaders in the erstwhile Khammam district.
Political analysts believe that of the 10 assembly constituencies, the BRS has a fair chance of winning five seats -- Khammam, Palair, Pinapaka, Wyra and Sattupalli -- in alliance with Left parties like the CPM and CPI. If the Congress fields strong candidates and focuses on grassroots-level workers, it can win Madhira, Aswaraopet and Yellandu seats, analysts believe. Kothagudem seat will be tough to call, and much depends on the candidate, they say.
There is an undercurrent of anti-incumbency among the youth and middle classes. Dalit Bandhu has become a drawback for the BRS as only a few of those eligible have got the sop, leaving the other eligible quite upset with the government.
Unemployment is also an obstacle the ruling BRS has to overcome. However, daily labourers, farmers and pensioners appear to be favourably inclined towards the BRS. However, groupism in the BRS is being seen as a major obstacle that the party would have to overcome if it wants to dominate the elections in erstwhile Khammam. According to sources, there are four groups within the party in the erstwhile Khammam district.
As far as the Congress is concerned, the party is suffering from a lack of strong leadership, despite CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka hailing from Khammam. The lack of strong leadership has resulted in the party failing to highlight the failures of the government and raise public issues.
The BJP has failed to make a mark so far in the district, allegedly due to a lack of efficient leadership. However, YSR Telangana Party president YS Sharmila is planning to contest from Palair, a constituency that former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has been eyeing. CPM State secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram is also reportedly keen on contesting from the Palair seat.
Speaking to TNIE, CPM district secretary Nunna Nageswara Rao said: “Our target is to weaken the BJP in the district. We will support and strike an alliance with any party that is against the BJP. If the BRS comes forward, we would give it more preference as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is fighting against the BJP.”
He added that in case of an alliance with the BRS, the CPM “may get a chance to contest from Palair, Madhira and Bhadrachalam’’.Congress Khammam town president Mohammed Javed said that the anti-incumbency factor would work against the BRS. “Day by day, more and more people are looking towards the Congress. We will sweep all the 10 seats in coming elections as people are suffering under BRS rule,” he said.
BRS district president Tata Madhu, however, said: “People have faith in KCR, his vision and development.” He went on to predict that the BRS will win eight seats if it contests on its own and all the 10 seats if it allies with any other party.