HYDERABAD: Kodangal is one of the most followed Assembly constituencies in the run-up to the polls with TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy looking to exact revenge on BRS nominee Patnam Narender Reddy, who defeated the former in the 2018 elections. Also in the ring is BJP nominee Banti Ramesh Kumar.
However, amid the focus on the electoral outcome, constituents lament that they are having to deal with a host of issues. The lack of proper roads and a hospital translates into problems in daily life, they add. In the absence of a college in the segment, youngsters said they have to travel for hours to Tandur and other areas to continue their education.
Since the Kodangal Assembly segment is spread across Vikarabad and Narayanpet districts, locals are of the opinion that developmental initiatives are difficult to implement in the area.
However, the candidates believe they can help alleviate the problems faced by the constituents on a daily basis. Revanth told TNIE that BRS leaders T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao had promised to develop Kodangal in the run-up to the 2018 Assembly polls, but had done very little after winning the seat. He alleged that the government had not spent even one rupee for the development of the constituency and accused Narender of trying to take credit for the works that were executed during the TPCC chief’s earlier term.He remains confident that he will win the election from Kodangal by a huge margin.
Meanwhile, Narender believes that his hard work will bear fruit in the elections. Asserting that he would continue to remain accessible to the people, Narender said he had done a lot for the people of the constituency. He added that he had done more than what his predecessor Revanth had done during the latter’s terms as an MLA.
He also accused Revanth of making empty promises during his tenure. After Revanth won from Malkajgiri in the Lok Sabha elections, how many times did he visit Kodangal, Narender wondered. He is hopeful that the implementation of the BRS government’s initiatives will help him sail through this election without any difficulty.
Heavy campaigning
Since the Kodangal Assembly constituency was created in 1952, the Congress has won from the segment six times out of the possible 15 times. Independents have won thrice while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won five times and the BRS once.
For Revanth and Narender, winning the Kodangal seat has become an issue of prestige. They have pulled out all stops to gain an upper hand over the other in the constituency. Narender’s brother Mahender Reddy is a member of the KCR cabinet.
The fight is mainly between the Congress and the BRS. Rama Rao, Harish and Mahender Reddy have taken part in campaign events in Kodangal for Narender. Revanth’s brother Tirupati Reddy is focused on campaigning in the constituency as the services and attention of the TPCC chief Reddy are required by the party across the state.