Rajendranagar: Constituency profile in Greater Hyderabad

A four-way battle on cards

Drinking water supply, a key demand for voters

Rajendranagar constituency, falling under the Rangareddy district, is one of the costliest suburbs with high real estate cost both for commercial and residential properties. It was formed after delimitation in 2009 from the Chevella constituency. Areas including Shamshabad, Kokapet, Gandipet, Himayath Sagar, Budvel, Upperpally, Attapur, Hyderguda, Kattedan, Manikonda, Hydershakote, Bandlaguda Jagir, Peeramchervu, Shivarampally and Mailardevpally form the voter base. There are 1,93,438 men, 1,68,125 women and 23 in the others category, forming a total of 3,61,586 voters in the constituency. TDP’s Prakash Goud is the sitting MLA.

Demography:

Apart from fresh water lakes of Himayath Sagar and Osman Sagar, the constituency is famous for the Shamshabad Airport and the Mrugavani National Park. The area is also famous for the innumerous number of educational institutions which includes Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Andhra Pradesh Prohibition and Excise Academy, etc. There are also many international schools in the area. Areas like Shivrampally, Mailardevpally, Rajendranagar and Attapur have close to 60 per cent population who belong to the minority community. Areas like Hassan Nagar and Shastripuram have more than 70 per cent Muslim populations as it borders the core of the Old City areas of Bahadurpura and Chandrayangutta.

Projects:

Science City, a joint project of centre and state government, is coming up at Budvel at a cost of Rs 160 crore. One of the jewels in the crown of Hyderabad, the PVNR Expressway, was inaugurated in this government’s tenure in 2009. Some Rs 314 crore works were sanctioned in the constituency under the JnNURM scheme for laying sewerage pipes. The Centre also recently sanctioned laying of pipeline from the Osmansagar reservoir to Asifnagar Water Treatment Plant in place of the existing water conduit for Rs 109.039 crore.

Problems:

Apart from the commercial segments, residential areas in the constituency are a mix of posh colonies and slums. The major problems of the areas include disrupted supply of power, bad condition of roads, drying of bore-wells and functioning of storm water drains during the monsoons (which otherwise has been hailed as the better managed drainage system in the city).The constituency also lags behind when it comes to street lighting and garbage clearance, the latter resulting in the presence of stray dogs and pigs in huge numbers. This apart, the Water Board has failed to address long-pending demands for drinking water, forcing people to depend on tankers.

Politics:

The political equations in Rajendra Nagar took an interesting turn with rumours that former home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy would be shifting her constituency from Maheswaram. Before the delimitation, this constituency was part of Chevella, erstwhile constituency of Sabitha. Sabitha is likely to get ticket from the Congress and she is counting on her faithful voters and also the ‘T’ sentiment.

Incumbent Prakash Goud is likely to get a ticket from the TDP. He rose from the humble ranks in the constituency and has a good following among voters. Shivrampally, Mailardevpally, Rajendranagar, Attapur, Hassan Nagar and Shastripuram areas have high Muslim minority population and MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi made it clear that they want to add this seat to their tally. As 90 per cent of the voters are locals, the TRS cadre is leaving no stone unturned to convert the sentiment into votes. The constituency is likely to see a four-way battle between the Congress, MIM, TDP and TRS.