Nagarkurnool LS Seat: Stage set for intense battle

Wanaparthy: With candidates from major parties submitting their nomination for the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha (SC) seat, the stage is set for an intense battle. What is usually termed as a Congress bastion, the constituency has an interesting reputation of dolling out peculiar results in every poll.

The Congress party aims to win the seat by a majority of 1.5 lakh votes leveraging its position in power and banking on the implementation of five of the six guarantees.

About 3.75 lakh Madiga votes are crucial in the election here; 88% voters are from rural areas. While the BJP is marching ahead with a plea for ‘one chance,’ the BRS is banking on its alliance with BSP to garner votes. In the three-cornered contest, however, the Congress and saffron parties are seemingly ahead. In the recent Assembly elections, the BRS had won the Gadwal and Alampur seats. Senior party leader Dr Mallu Ravi, who won in 1998, is the Congress candidate; while Bharat Prasad, the son of MP Pothuganti Ramulu, is the BJP nominee. Meanwhile, RS Praveen Kumar, former BSP chief, is contesting on BRS ticket as part of the two-party alliance.

The Congress estimates a landslide majority, thanks to CM A Revanth Reddy’s native village of Vangur in Kondareddy mandal and the party’s hold at the village level.

The BJP aims to somehow bag the seat thanks to MP Pothuganti Ramulu’s influence and is preparing plans suitably keeping in view 1.3 lakh votes. In addition, Prasad receiving a boost thanks to PM Narendra Modi’s recent public meeting in Nagarkurnool has strengthened his position among the people. The party is also promising to back the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project, Srisailam-Nallamala elevated corridor, laying of Gadwal-Raichur-Macharla railway line, and horticultural university.

Amidst all challenges, Praveen Kumar’s turbulent campaign highlights ‘failures’ of the Centre (BJP) and Congress governments. It remains to be seen how the voters will view the former police officer who had earlier targeted the KCR family prior to the recent Assembly elections. He hopes to bag the BSP and BRS votes. Meanwhile, there is speculation that ex-MP Jagannadham may join the poll fray as BSP nominee.