SIDDIPET: Even though the oustees of Mallannasagar and Kondapochamma projects are allegedly angry with former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao over claims of incorrect compensation and harassment by authorities, they overwhelmingly voted for the BRS chief if the polling pattern was any indication.
The previous government constructed rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) colonies at Mutrajipally, Sangapur and Tuniki Bollaram for the oustees of the two projects. A majority of the people voted for KCR while his rival candidate and BJP leader Eatala Rajender secured the second-highest number of votes in the Gajwel constituency. Though the Congress supported the agitation of the oustees, the voters snubbed its candidate, T Narsa Reddy.
He had contested on a Congress ticket against KCR in 2014 and joined the BRS after losing in the election. He was rewarded with a corporation chairman’s post by KCR. Narsa Reddy drew flak for party-hopping. Recently, he joined the Congress in a bid to secure a ticket.
The voters’ dissatisfaction with the Congress candidate was evident in the results as he secured only 1,711 votes compared to 4,980 votes polled by KCR and 3,067 votes secured by BJP’s Rajender in the three R&R colonies. Though considered an outsider, Rajender was able to give a tough fight to the former chief minister.
The breakup of votes secured by the three candidates at various polling centres in the resettlement colonies gives a clear idea of the preferences of the voters. Out of the total votes polled at three centres in Singapur, 1,586 votes went in favour of KCR and 937 to Rajender while Narsa Reddy got only 427 votes. In Tuniki Bollaram, where the Kondapochamma project oustees live, KCR bagged 722 votes, Rajender 366 and Narsa Reddy 336 votes.
Officials had set up a total of seven polling stations in the colony built at Mutrajpalli for the Mallannasagar oustees. Out of the total votes cast, KCR got 2,672 votes, Rajender 1,764 and Narsa Reddy 948.According to a local Congress leader, a majority of oustees supported KCR hoping that he would do justice to them if he achieved a hat-trick as the chief minister.