Hyderabad: Will AP politics cast a shadow on municipal elections in TS?

Hyderabad: Will the present politics in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh State centered around Amaravati will have its impact in the Municipal elections in Telangana ?

The elections are slated on January 22 and a good number of municipal corporations including Nizampet, Bandlaguda Jagir, Meerpet, Boduppal and municipalities like Manikonda, Tellapur, Shamshabad, Dammaiguda, Nagaram, Kompally, Medchal, Ameenpur etc. have voters with AP connection.

The Amaravati issue is being seen as a tussle between Kamma and Reddy communities in Andhra Pradesh and it remains to be seen whether these differences along the caste lines between the two communities would spill over and have an impact in the municipal elections here. Some of the above-mentioned municipalities have a good number of Kamma voters and also Reddy voters mainly from Rayalaseema. And the parties here including TRS, Congress and BJP have given tickets to candidates belonging to either of the communities if not both. Who will these voters rally around is the interesting question in each ward going for the election battle.

TDP lost badly in 2016 GHMC elections and Assembly elections in December 2018 were no different. Courtesy the Amaravati issue, TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu is now trying to regain lost ground after the general elections debacle and is going around different areas of the State to garner support. Will the latest developments in AP will fetch votes to TDP candidates remains to be seen. However, the ruling TRS, which is being tipped to win elections by political observers in wake of weak Opposition is least perturbed at AP developments and its impact.

The TRS ranks are pointing out to the overwhelming support given to the pink party not only by voters native of Telangana but also from the voters with AP connection in the polls held in the State capital in the last four years including GHMC and Assembly elections.The situation will be no different this time in the municipal elections, they feel.

" It is true that the caste factor plays its part in Andhra Pradesh, but it has no bearing here. Even if one opposition party is banking on votes on caste lines, voters here are well aware that backing that particular party that has little presence here will not benefit them. Also, leaders from opposition parties are deserting their original party post-election in the name of development and people are aware whom to support eventually," a leader said.