KHAMMAM: People living in the Kothagudem Assembly constituency limits — Chunchupalli, Sujathanagar, Laxmidevipalli, Palvoncha and Kothagudem town — are grappling with critical issues that impact their daily lives: ranging from acute drinking water problems to underdeveloped infrastructure. The dream of an airport remains unfulfilled, and essential facilities such as the bus stand, drainage systems, and internal roads are in dire need of an overhaul.
In the 2018 elections, Vanama Venkateswara Rao won on a Congress ticket, defeating BRS candidate Jalagam Venkat Rao by a margin of 4,139 votes, but soon shifted to the ruling party. Kothagudem’s industrial expansion, particularly in coal mining, has not translated into adequate facilities for its residents. The persistent drinking water problem is a glaring concern, despite the town’s population surpassing 1 lakh. The existing supply system, drawing water from the Kinnerasani project and sporadic supplementation with Godavari water, is falling short of meeting the town’s needs.
Another pressing issue is the protracted delay in the construction of a railway line from Kothagudem to Kovvur. This apart, there is a huge demand for the doubling of the railway line from Dornakal to Kothagudem town and passenger train services from Kothagudem to Sathupalli. A Kothagudem resident, SK Rahman, lamented the disparity between the substantial income generated from the Kothagudem railway station from coal transportation and the lack of facilities provided to the people.
Pandurangacharyulu, chairman of the Kothagudem town development committee, said the bypass road from the outskirts of Kothagudem to the outskirts of Palvoncha has been pending for years. “This lack of infrastructure poses risks to locals due to heavy vehicle traffic and leads to numerous accidents,” he added. A local businessman, N Ramakrishna, underscored the need for an airport in Kothagudem. He pointed out the inconveniences faced by industrialists and businesspersons who frequently have to travel on a bus or car for six to seven hours.
In Palvoncha, another significant town in the constituency, the absence of a drainage system and inadequate facilities stand out as key concerns.
Tight contest
The electoral landscape is tense as voters anticipate a triangular contest as Vanama Venkateswara is seeking election for the sixth time. He was elected four times under the Congress banner and once from the BRS. Congress is backing CPI candidate Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, while former MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao is contesting independently.
Vanama of the BRS told TNIE that he was confident of securing a victory by a margin of 40,000 majority, citing fulfilled promises and trust in the BRS government’s welfare initiatives. Sambasiva Rao said the BRS government has deceived the public by not appointing a Dalit person as the chief minister. He claimed that the promise of providing free education from KG to PG has been shelved while eligible podu cultivators have not received the promised land pattas.
Independent candidate Venkat Rao contended that developmental initiatives during his term as the MLA were significant, but that further progress had stagnated.