HYDERABAD: With polling day rapidly approaching, among the many discussions taking place in political circles is the rather underwhelming performance of the TRS (now BRS) in the erstwhile Khammam district. The coming elections are crucial for the ruling party as it battles anti-incumbency in its fight to retain power by overcoming its earlier setbacks, especially in the erstwhile Khammam district.
The TRS refrained from fielding candidates from Khammam during the 2004 and 2009 Assembly elections as part of its alliance with the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). In 2014, the party did field its candidate, Jalagam Venkat Rao, son of former chief minister Jalagam Vengala Rao, won from Kothagudem. In 2018, the TRS again won only one seat in the erstwhile district — Puvvada Ajay Kumar from the Khammam Assembly segment.
After the 2018 victory, the TRS absorbed the Congress Legislative Party, with 12 Congress MLAs joining its ranks. MLAs from Pinapaka, Yellandu, Palair and Kothagudem constituencies in erstwhile Khammam switched sides. The TRS also welcomed TDP MLA from Satthupalli, Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, Aswaraopet MLA Mecha Nageswar Rao and Wyra MLA Lavudya Ramulu Naik.
Advantage BRS?
The induction of these MLAs gave the BRS the advantage of strong leaders, cadre, and possibly, vote bank — at least on paper. However, despite implementing numerous schemes over the nine-and-a-half years, there is no guarantee that the BRS will sweep the erstwhile Khammam district. This is despite the majority of sitting MLAs contesting in the district.
One of the reasons behind this absence of certainty may have something to do with the fact that the BRS (then TRS) never fully focused on the erstwhile Khammam district as only the Kothagudem area was gripped by separate statehood fervour. Meanwhile, residents in the other parts of the district have a strong connection to Andhra Pradesh, owing to proximity to the state border.
Often, Khammam residents find it more convenient to visit Vijayawada and other places in the neighbouring states for business and personal matters than Hyderabad. The Congress and Telugu Desam Party retain vote banks in Khammam, which the BRS has never really been able to tap.
In 2004, the Congress won four seats, while the Left parties secured five. The TDP failed to open its account. Under the Maha Kutami alliance in 2009, the Congress won five seats, the TDP three, and others two, a 60:40 ratio in seat distribution between the Congress and the TDP before the YSR regime.
Now that the BRS is contesting on its own, the TDP out of contention and the BJP a marginal player in erstwhile Khammam, the pertinent question is whether the pink party will be able to win a majority of the seats in the district. The recent defections of BRS leaders like former minister Thummala Nageswar Rao and former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy to the Congress have added to the intrigue.
Recent additions
After the 2018 victory, the BRS absorbed the CLP, with 12 MLAs joining its ranks. MLAs from Pinapaka, Yellandu, Palair and Kothagudem constituencies switched sides. It also welcomed TDP legislator from Sathupalli, Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, Aswaraopet MLA Mecha Nageswar Rao and Wyra MLA Lavudya Ramulu Naik.