Jaago Voter……Choose Your Leader: Many aspirants clamour for party tickets

♦    Congress party also in contention with multiple potential candidates

♦    Waterlogging during monsoon remains a major concern for Saroornagar and BN Reddy residents

Hyderabad: Lal Bahadur Nagar (L.B.Nagar) Assembly constituency, once a stronghold of the Congress party, currently has D Sudheer Reddy as its sitting MLA. He was initially associated with the party during the 2018 assembly elections and won the MLA seat under its ticket. However, he later joined the BRS. With the upcoming elections, there is fierce competition among aspiring candidates from BRS, INC, and BJP, all vying for a ticket from this constituency.

The constituency, established before 2009 under the Delimitation Act of 2002, is among the relatively newer constituencies. With over 4.5 lakh voters, it encompasses various neighborhood areas including LB Nagar, Champapet, Karmanghat, Vanasthalipuram, Hayath Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, BN Reddy Nagar, and parts of Gaddiannaram and Saroornagar.

The constituency comprises a diverse voter base, including educators, employees, and the middle class, who have shown flexibility in their choice of candidate. Prior to the delimitation, the BJP, Congress, and TDP had strong party cadres in the area. In the last elections held in 2018, D Sudheer Reddy, representing the INC, emerged victorious by a margin of 17,848 votes, defeating M Ram Mohan Goud of the BRS. In the 2014 Assembly elections, R Krishnaiah from the TDP secured the LB Nagar seat with 84,316 votes, representing 33.61 percent of the total votes. BRS candidate M Ram Mohan Goud came in second with 56,489 votes, accounting for 28.62 per cent of the votes, while INC candidate D Sudheer Reddy secured 56,489 votes, equivalent to 22.52 percent of the votes.

In the subsequent 2018 elections, D Sudheer Reddy from the INC emerged as the winner with 105,303 votes, capturing 43.33 percent of the total votes. BRS candidate M Ram Mohan Goud remained in the second position with 68,226 votes, representing 30.4 percent of the votes. BJP candidate Shekar Rao Perala received 21,563 votes, accounting for 8.81 percent of the votes.

According to political analysts, in the 2018 Assembly elections, D Sudheer Reddy won the MLA seat under the INC ticket but later defected to BRS in 2019. Alongside him, other aspirants such as Ram Mohan Goud, K Satyanarayana, and Uppala Srinivas Gupta are vying for a ticket from BRS. The BJP also sees an opportunity in the constituency.

During the 2020 GHMC elections, the BJP performed exceptionally well, winning in all divisions of the constituency except for Lingojiguda. The party has had a strong presence at the division-level for many years. BJP State Vice-President Dr. G Manohar Reddy and Sama Ranga Reddy are hopeful of securing a ticket. Additionally, the Congress party is also in the race, with DarapallyRajashekar Reddy, J Prabhakar Reddy, and M Rama Reddy as potential candidates.

The prominent issue in this constituency is severe waterlogging during the monsoon season, particularly affecting Saroornagar and BN Reddy residents. Despite assurance to resolve the inundation problem, authorities have yet to address the issue adequately.

The Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP) works have commenced but are progressing at a slow pace. Every year during heavy rains, shops remain closed as the roads become flooded. Residents live in constant fear and experience property and vehicle damage. Ravi Kumar, a resident of BN Reddy Nagar, expressed the ongoing struggles faced by the community.