HYDERABAD: The BJP and TRS are groping in the dark, unable to decide whom they should nominate for the byelection to the Nagarjunasagar Assembly seat. The Congress, on the other hand, is way ahead of them as it has found a custom-made candidate in former minister K Jana Reddy, who is expected to sail through choppy waters without much difficulty.
The constituency, which has a majority of BCs, has remained Jana Reddy’s pocket borough even though he hails from a dominant caste. But in the last election, he lost to TRS’ Nomula Narasimhaiah, a BC, all because he took the election for granted and neglected his constituency. Having learnt a lesson, he has been visiting the constituency regularly and trying to win back the voters’ trust by meeting them.
After the untimely death of Nomula Narasimhaiah, the TRS was in a fix when it came to finding a replacement. After Narasimhaiah, who could switch to his charming self whenever he wanted, the TRS does not have any other leader as tall as him. But it plans to test its luck by fielding his son Bhagat, an advocate, and hopes that the BC voters remain on its side. The pink party is well aware that if it picks a leader of any other caste, the BCs might turn against it, a development that it abhors.
There is also speculation that the TRS may field local leader and MLC Tera Chinnapa Reddy. The basis for this is that he flew to KCR’s public meeting venue, along with the Chief Minister, held at Halia in Nalgonda district in mid-February after the latter laid the foundation stone for irrigation projects at Nellikal. Also, there is no knowing to what extent KCR laying the foundation stone for 13 lift irrigation projects in the district would help the party in the upcoming polls.
A party leader from Nalgonda district said there is “no clarity” on who would be the TRS candidate, though Bhagat’s name is on the cards. “We still have time. Most probably, the candidate would be declared after the notification for the byelection is issued,” he said. Meanwhile, the BJP is in an awkward situation as it has no leader worth his salt to contest from this constituency, even though the number of aspirants is quite high.
The saffron party, after its sensational victory in the Dubbaka byelection, is attracting many leaders, particularly from the Congress. But for Nagarjunasagar, it does not have many leaders of stature. The only name doing the rounds is K Nivedita Reddy, the wife of BJP district president Sridhar Reddy. In the last election, she secured only 2,780 votes and stood third. One wonders if she will be able to rise to the level of wresting the seat. If the BJP wants to field a leader other than her, the only name that comes to mind is K Anjaiah Yadav. But he too is not well known in the constituency.
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