Bhootpur municipality: Will opposition succeed in riling TRS?

Mahbubnagar: With the municipal polls just a few weeks away, it is to be seen whether the opposition parties like Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party would be able to grab power from Telangana Rashtra Samithi that has been exercising absolute power in the Bhootpur municipality.

Going by the ground realities and the strong power that TRS exercises in Bhootpur and all the seven mandals of Devarkadra constituency, it would be tough for the opposition parties to win the trust of people and there by their votes. Further, the opposition parties have to work more to emerge victorious against the pink party which has already established strong ties with the people of the constituency.

The Bhootpur municipality in Mahbubnagar district is the smallest municipality in the State with just 10 wards. Pothulamadugu, Kothamolgara, Palakonda, Yedira and Kappeta are close to Bhootpur. After upgrading Bhootpur into a municipality, the State government has merged Amistapur village with Bhootpur, and as per estimates, the entire population of Bhootpur municipality is not more than 10,000.

Though the TRS is strong in Bhootpur municipality and the remaining seven mandals in the Devarkadra constituency as all the seven MPTCs and ZPTCs in the constituency have been won by the TRS candidates in the recently-concluded local body elections earlier this year, the Congress and BJP are trying their best to grab the attention of voters and at least a few wards in the upcoming municipal elections.

However, according to political analysts, with the TRS already establishing itself strong in the area, the opposition parties have less chances to make a mark and gain the people's attention even if they go full throttle with their campaigns and strategies.

"TRS has a strong foothold in Bhootpur and all the seven mandals in Devarkadra constituency, that is led by MLA Ala Venkateshwar Reddy. The people are aligned to TRS as they have seen real development which they have not in the last 70 years. Be it roads, drains, power connections, construction of community halls, free power to farmers, 24-hour supply of potable water, clean and green programmes in the wards etc, the people of the municipality have been witnessing growth ever since TRS came to power. The people are happy with the work done in the past six years of TRS rule and they will favour us as there is no question of opposition party creating an impression on the voters against the TRS," said Raju, a senior TRS party leader from Bhootpur mandal.

The TRS leader enumerated on the major irrigation projects that are being constructed in and around the Bhootpur and Moosapet mandals in Devarkadra constituency. He said with the efforts of local TRS leaders, it was possible that the villagers in Bhootpur and surrounding areas were able to see Krishna water in canals and were able to irrigate their lands.

"Our leader Ala Venkateshwar Reddy has succeeded in convincing Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in laying the foundation stone for Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Project in Bhootpur. This itself tells volumes how our local leaders can bring the attention of the State leadership and get the things done as per the demands and wishes of our people. With all the ongoing works, irrigation canals in Bhootpur and surrounding areas would be completed in the next 2-3 years and people would be able to see Bhootpur as the Konaseema of Telangana," said Raju.

Recently, keeping in view the municipal elections, the State government has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the Bhootpur mandal wherein various development works like laying of CC roads, drainages, BT roads and other infrastructure facilities needed for the people of Bhootpur have been taken up in a big way. Bhootpur MPP K Shekar and Devarkadra MLA had also laid a foundation stone for the laying of BT road at a cost of Rs 8 crore connecting Amistapur and Bhootpur.

Overall, the municipal elections in Bhootpur are piquing the interest of people to see how far the opposition parties would be successful in wooing the people and give a tough fight to the ruling TRS.