Political heat yet to pick up in villages

Warangal/Mahabubabad: It's going to be one of the dullest elections in the recent past with poll heat yet to reach rural parts of both Warangal and Mahabubabad Lok Sabha constituencies.

With the candidates of major political parties – Pasunuri Dayakar (TRS), Dommati Sambaiah (Congress) and Chintha Samba Murthy (BJP) - contesting from Warangal Lok Sabha constituency restricting their campaigning to Assembly segment headquarters and town, the political heat is yet to pick up in villages and it's unlikely to peak as well with not much time left before April 11 polling. It may be noted here that electioneering to end at 5 pm on April 9.

With the elections happening separately for Assembly and Lok Sabha, it has become a herculean task for the candidates to reach out the voters spread in seven Assembly segments of the Parliamentary constituency.

The TRS, which won six of the seven Assembly segments in Warangal Lok Sabha seat, appeared well prepared for the polls. On the other hand, Congress has its own set of problems. The desertions of MLAs and top leaders have left the Congress beleaguered. Although Congress candidate Dommati Sambaiah was supported by constituency in-charge Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, DCC presidents N Rajender Reddy, Janga Raghva Reddy and other leaders, campaigning lacked zip with none of the top leaders and star campaigners including TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Vijayashanti not making their presence felt in the constituency.

The fate of BJP candidate Chintha Samba Murthy is also similar. The party cadres left in disarray with their national president Amit Shah skipping a public meeting scheduled to be held in Hanamkonda on April 4. In his absence, BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and State president K Laxman addressed the rally, the only solace.

The situation is no different elsewhere in Mahabubabad Lok Sabha constituency where Congress candidate Porika Balram Naik is waging a lone battle. Naik even expressed his anguish over Uttam, Bhatti and other leaders for not turning to his constituency. Although Mahabubabad DCC president Jennareddy Bharat Chandra Reddy was extending his cooperation, it appears not enough for Naik who is facing TRS' Maloth Kavitha and BJP's Jatoth Hussain Naik.

For BJP, while Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed a rally in Mahabubabad, Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation DV Sadananda Gowda tried to enthuse the party workers in Warangal. On the other hand, TRS, which made a head start in electioneering a bit early, seems to be forging ahead with party chief K Chandrashekar Rao and working president KT Rama Rao spearheading the campaign.

While KCR addressed public meetings in Warangal and Mahabubabad, KTR also covered both the constituencies extensively. Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao, who was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after both the constituencies, is manoeuvring the TRS forces cleverly to ensure victory.