With the Congress fielding former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency has turned into a high-profile segment. While the incumbent BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath is eyeing a hat-trick of victories, the BJP has decided to field Lankala Deepak Reddy, who will be making his electoral debut. The AIMIM recently threw its hat into the ring, but is yet to announce its candidate.
Though the Jubilee Hills constituency has the tag of a posh locality, there is a stark contrast between what is generally perceived and the ground reality as 70 per cent of the segment is made up of slums and low-income colonies spread across Yousufguda, Borabanda, Erragadda and Shaikpet.
According to electors, the constituency is bogged down by various civic woes with drainage issues topping the list.“Drainage is a major issue. Every 10-15 days, some line will overflow into the roads, creating a huge mess,” says Maheswara Rao GV, a resident of Sri Nagar Colony.Another resident Vasu Dev, adds: “It has been an issue for several years. There is no one to fix it. The area looks dirty.”
According to Anurag Reddy, a young elector, traffic is a concern in the constituency. However, he is quick to add that it is “inevitable” considering the pace of the city’s growth. “We are satisfied with the supply of electricity and water,” he says.This satisfaction was not echoed all over the constituency.Residents of Sri Nagar Colony say that water supply is erratic in the area and they often have to buy water. “The water bill is another concern,” says Dev.
According to Azharuddin, no development has happened for the poor in the constituency in the last 10 years. “I was distraught to see the living conditions of the poor,” he tells TNIE.He alleges that rowdyism is prevalent in the constituency and that residents are living in fear. He said that drainage water and the issue of high-tension wires will be the focus points of his campaign.Minority voters wield significant influence in the constituency.
Speaking on the status of minorities, he said that the Congress was the only party that fulfilled its promises on reservations. “Waqf land is used for all the development. At one point of time, Waqf land was 77,000 acres. Now it is reduced to 22,000 acres,” he alleged.
He also alleged delays in payment of salaries to Imams.Several residents, meanwhile, expressed scepticism about the high-profile candidate. “Whenever we go for a high-profile person, they are not going to spend any time in the constituency, which is not going to benefit us” says Maheswara Rao.Despite multiple attempts, Maganti Gopinath and Lankala Deepak Reddy remained unavailable for comment.
