Khammam Challenge: Tight Fights among Titans in Telangana’s ‘Congress Belt’ – News18

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Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy is a defector from the BRS. He was suspended by the ruling outfit for anti-party activities. He then joined the Congress in July in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. Pic/News18

In 2018, when the undivided Khammam district had 10 assembly constituencies, the BRS (then TRS) won only a single seat – Khammam. The Congress won six, the Telugu Desam Party two, and the remaining one was bagged by an independent candidate

In Telangana’s Khammam district, the state’s ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) does not have a strong presence. The Telangana sentiment rings true in certain pockets only. The Congress, despite not being in power, has a traditional voter base here. With a close Andhra Pradesh border, parties like the TDP and YSRCP too have a good presence. In 2018, when the undivided Khammam district had 10 assembly constituencies, the BRS (then TRS) won only a single seat – Khammam. The Congress won six, the Telugu Desam Party two, and the remaining one was bagged by an independent candidate.

Speaking to News18, a teacher from the Palair constituency said: “People here vote for the Congress even without checking who the candidate is. However, the Congress has fielded a strong candidate, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, from here. He is a good man and is known for his helpful nature. Even the BRS candidate, Kandala Upender Reddy, has earned a lot of goodwill, but he cannot match up to Ponguleti. In rural areas, the CPI has a small voter base.”

The famous Palair lake can be found in the Kusumanchi Mandal of Khammam district. Images/News18

Chiming in, another Palair resident, said: “The BRS has earned a bad name by favouring its own party people during the distribution of welfare schemes. I know leaders who gave the benefits to only those who were from their castes. This has created distrust among the people.”

Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy is a defector from the BRS. He was suspended by the ruling outfit for anti-party activities. He then joined the Congress in July in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. The former MP had won the Lok Sabha election from Khammam in 2014 as a YSRCP candidate. He later joined the BRS.

While moving towards Khammam town, it was also evident that a few voters were choosing the party candidates, rather than the party. In the Khammam assembly constituency, Telangana transport minister Ajay Puvvada clashes with another BRS defector, Tummala Nageswara Rao. He was the minister for roads and buildings in the BRS government and joined the Congress because he was allegedly upset over not being given the ticket from Palair. He is a tall leader who has served in the cabinets of NT Rama Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu.

In Palair, the fight is between two members of the Reddy community, and in Khammam, it’s between two Kamma caste members.

Gopi, who drives an auto for a living in Khammam town, said, “There is no doubt that the Congress has an upper hand. Tummala is well-known here, and people are not happy with the BRS because they are rowdies.”

However, he is going to vote for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). When asked why he is choosing BSP, Gopi said, “I belong to the SC category and I have deep respect for RS Praveen Kumar (Telangana BSP president). He is an IPS officer who brought radical changes in the education sector of Telangana.”

Naseema, who runs a tailoring shop in Kasba Bazaar, says that she is voting for the Congress this time. “I am not happy with the BRS and want to see a change. I am confident Tummala can bring that,” she added.

Another auto driver, Kumar, however, batted strongly for the BRS. “Don’t you see the roads? They are so good. The transport minister built these and I am happy,” he said. “I also like that Puvvada does not identify with any caste. I am a big fan of KCR sir and am voting for him.”