Hyderabad: After witnessing landslide victory by Telangana Rastra Samiti in the Assembly elections, Malkajgiri constituency, the biggest parliamentary seat in the country, is set for another big battle as big leaders from various political parties gear up to test their political fate here.
Marri Rajasekhar Reddy, the son-in-law of Medchal MP and health minister CH Malla Reddy, is contesting from here on a TRS ticket. In the 2014 polls, Malla Reddy was elected from the Malkajjgiri Lok Sabha seat on the TDP ticket but had switched sides to the TRS.
Telangana Congress working president A Revanth Reddy and senior BJP leader and city president N Ramchander Rao have been chosen for the Malkajgiri constituency.
In 2014, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate Chamakura Malla Reddy was elected as MP form Malkajgiri. He later he joined the ruling TRS.
The TRS working president KT Rama Rao has taken responsibility of the district and started his campaign there along with Marri Reddy.
“We will vote the TRS. Malla Reddy did a lot to us in the form of welfare schemes. His son-in-law, Rajasekhar Reddy’s win from Malkajgiri will further improve our situation,” said Naga Raju, a newspaper vendor in the Bowenpally area.
Revanth Reddy, who got defeated from Kodangal constituency last elections, is not taking any chances this time. He has been meeting all key leaders from non-TRS and non-BJP parties for support.
He also met former home minister Devender Goud and Telangana Jana Samithi chief Kodandaram Gaddar for support.
Since the TDP has decided not to contest the upcoming elections, Revanth, who was earlier a part of TDP, is hoping that his old party cadre will help him fetch votes. “I am confident of winning the election. People from all parts of India lives here and it is known as ‘Mini India’. If I win, I will put pressure on the union government to make Hyderabad as the second capital of the country,” Revanth said.
“We wanted our representation in Hyderabad in the last elections. We will try again this time. Revanth Reddy is in the Congress came,” said Koteswar Rao, a resident of Kukatpally.
Rao, an eminent advocate and MLC of graduate constituency, lost the recent assembly polls from Malkajgiri. This time, he is depending on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma and his personal contacts to win.
“There is no alternative for the TRS in Assembly elections. This time I will vote for the BJP because Modi is the man who can protect ‘Hindutva’. The GST, demonetisation were all part of the development,” said Dhanpal Reddy, a private employee from Kapra locality in Malkajgiri.
Malkajgiri has 33,83,324 voters out of which about 13 lakh-plus voters are settlers.
A major problem in the area is that of ‘road blockage’ by the military officers as the area is part of Secunderabad cantonment. People have been demanding the opening of cantonment gates for transportation. Political leaders have been promising to resolve the issue of blockage before elections but there has been no solution yet.
The constituency is struggling with several other civic problems. There are six railway gates but people cannot cross them even during emergency. They have been demanding construction of flyovers to pass the tracks.
“It’s become a headache. British government established this cantonment before independence. It was on the outskirts of the city at that time. But now the city the grown and we don’t want the opening and closing of gates. It should be removed from here totally,” said Chandra Sekhar, a local resident. Sekhar said he will vote only for that leader who gives the assurance to shifting the cantonment elsewhere.
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