NALGONDA: Being billed as the most prestigious byelection by all the main parties, Munugode Assembly constituency is witnessing switching of loyalties by leaders from one party to another at the drop of a hat. In a curious turn of events, those who joined a rival party in the morning were back in their parent party in the evening, a clear indication of huge amounts of money changing hands and contestants leaving no stone unturned to win the byelection.
Leaders of all parties are in a fix as they have to please the voters on one hand and, on the other, keep their flock together by pumping in money. In their determination to win the election, leaders are making a beeline to Munugode to turn the tide in their favour.
With each candidate being prepared to go to any length to win the election, the demand for local leaders is very high at the moment. Ward member to sarpanch and MPTC/ ZPTC members, they are being wooed by each and every party.
Recently, a mandal representative who had joined BJP from TRS was brought back by the ruling party leaders. Similarly, the sarpanch of a village in Gattuppal mandal, had worn a BJP scarf in the morning only to cast it off and wear TRS’ by evening. There are allegations that the parties are engineering defections with offers of huge money, positions and contracts to local netas. In Choutuppal mandal, the husband of a village sarpanch was induced to join her rival party. With wife in one party and husband in another, voters say they are a confused lot.
Meanwhile, allegations are doing the rounds that a national party brought leaders from nearby districts to swell its ranks in Munugode constituency.A senior leader jokingly said that if one were to count all those who defected from one party to another, their number would exceed the voters in the constituency.
War of words
Posters alleging that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy was awarded a contract worth Rs18,000 crore came up at various places in Chandur late on Monday night. The title of the poster ‘ContractPe’ was fashioned on the lines of popular e-payment application PhonePe.
Fire mishap at Cong office
A fire erupted in the Congress office in Chandur on Monday night. Police said they are probing if the mishap was caused due to a short circuit or if some miscreants set it on fire. Local party workers staged a dharna demanding action against the culprits on Tuesday.