The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Left veterans to slug it out in bastion of hope

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Left veterans to slug it out in bastion of hope

By D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

KHAMMAM, APRIL 13. When it is a fight of tuskers, the grass under their feet inevitably gets crushed. It is very much so with Communists in Khammam, a constituency looked upon as their bastion of hope.

Turbulence has been forecast for electorate of the traditional strongholds of the CPI and the CPI(M), if the heat generated by the contest is of any indication.

Trivial polemics have taken the shape of a big electoral fight as the differences between the two parties eluded an understanding. The Marxist strongman, Thammineni Veerabhadram, and the CPI veteran, Puvvada Nageswara Rao, are locked in a tough combat. It is a different matter that candidates of the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and the Arya Vysya Sangham are also in the fray.

The CPI(M) image was bolstered by the 100-day long padayatra spearheaded by Mr. Veerabhadram, former MP. "We appeal to the common sense of people and it is for them to choose the party that has been with them," says Mr. Veerabhadram. The CPI(M) claims to have a strong organisational network than any other party in the constituency. Mr. Puvvada, however, says people have realised what they have `lost' in his defeat in the last Assembly election and hopes to stage a comeback to accomplish his mission for developing Khammam into a model town. He had represented Khammam for two terms from 1989. Mr. Puvvada attributes his defeat in the last election to the CPI(M) local leadership.

It is a do-or-die situation for the CPI as leaders are working overtime to revive the electoral fortunes of the party.

Meanwhile, the former MLA, Younis Sultan (Congress), is banking on the traditional vote bank and the support of minorities who constitute a sizable number. As the CPI and the CPI(M) could not avoid a contest between them, the Congress went ahead with his re-nomination. Mr. Sultan says he has a fair chance to come up trumps for a second term and projects himself as being above corruption.

The TDP has also emerged a strong force within the constituency. Its candidate, Balasani Lakshminarayana, had come second in the last election. He hopes to make it this time with the help of backward class vote.

The split in the Opposition vote is also to his advantage, Mr. Balasani claims. But cadre discontent and differences may prove crucial in his path to victory.

The Khammam Chamber of Commerce general secretary and Vysya Sangham leader, Mellacehruvu Venkateswar Rao, is another contender. He has entered the fray to fight against the `injustice' meted out to the Vysya community by various political parties. Campaigning on his symbol, LPG cylinder, -- incidentally, he is LPG distributor of a public sector company - Mr. Venkateswar Rao is pinning hopes on his strong consumer base (of 15,000 households) and support of the community which has 16,000 votes.

KHAMMAM

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