Munugode Bypoll: Tough nut to crack

Hyderabad: Winning the Munugodu byelection will not be a cakewalk for any of the three main parties – TRS, Congress and the BJP – as they are plagued by a litany of ailments. The key election is scheduled to be held on November 3.

The ruling TRS is facing rough weather with increasing group politics in the bypoll-bound Munugodu. Even before the party high command announced the name of former MLA K Prabhakar Reddy as its candidate, the elected local body representatives of TRS raised a banner of revolt against Reddy and threatened to campaign against him if the party decides to field him.

All efforts made by State Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy to convince the local TRS leaders failed to tame them. In fact, a few local body representatives had quit the TRS. Now, the major challenge before the TRS is to protect the party cadre and elected representatives from BJP poaching. The TRS leaders, it is said, were being lured by the rival parties.

To counter this move, the TRS too is said to be offering more than what the BJP offers to their local leaders to prevent poaching. TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao summoned the 'sulking' leaders, including former MP Boora Narasaiah Goud and former MLC K Prabhakar to Pragathi Bhavan and asked them to work for the party's victory in the byelections.

For the BJP, the major challenge is to convince the voters. Their only trump card is party candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. The saffron party does not have much presence in the segment. To what extent the Congress cadre, who were with Rajagopal Reddy before he joined the BJP, would sail with him is yet to be seen.

Rajagopal Reddy is holding secret talks with some key TRS leaders and it is being said that they would join the saffron party in a week.

Money and mind game are picking up pace, it is said.

BJP's Rajagopal Reddy is a strong candidate, but he was elected as MLA on the Congress ticket in 2018 Assembly elections. The BJP does not have cadre of its own in Munugodu. BJP feels that the profile of their candidate would help them win the seat as Reddy continues to be close to the voters and has been standing by them whenever they needed his help. The Congress on the other hand is struggling hard to unite the party cadre and keep the flock together. They fear that the TRS and BJP would poach their workers ahead of the elections affecting their winning chances.

The Congress feels that their candidate P Sravanti would get sympathy votes since she happens to be the daughter of senior Congress leader P Govardhan Reddy who had represented the constituency for long. However, protecting the rank and file from being lured by the BJP and TRS is a Herculean task for the party leadership.

The BSP is also planning to field its candidate in the byelection. This may affect the winning chances of the TRS which has been enjoying the support of SC voters in the segment, say the analysts.