SEEKING ATTENTION: Hoardings of G.V. Balraj and Samala Sathi Reddy, both claiming allegiance to the Congress but contesting against each other, in ward VI of the Secunderabad Cantonment. — A FILE PHOTO

HYDERABAD: Impassive to the real estate-related hubbub all around and beyond it, Bolarum is still largely a sleepy little village, that is, if you discount the military paraphernalia dotting its landscape. However, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) elections, due in nine days, have injected life of a different flavour into the area.

Bolarum, along with Alwal, dominates the geographic catalogue of Wards VI and VII of SCB. The voter strength of both the wards -- 18,941 and 11,129 respectively -- combined barely makes a little more than that of Ward II. Still, the election fever is no less here. Neither is any politician taking the area lightly, as can be gauged from the fact that Ward VI and VII have six candidates owing allegiance to the Congress alone.

And the only woman candidate with political backing in the entire election is in Ward VI - E. Manjula Reddy of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. There are a couple of independent women candidates too. But their campaigns have so far been silent in comparison to the jeeps painted pink racing across Lothkunta and surrounding areas with loudspeakers bellowing Ms. Reddy's credentials.

No reservation

"More women could have made a difference in the elections. However, the Cantonment authorities, just like they dilly-dallied with delimitation of wards and amendments to the Cantonment Act, did not reserve any ward for women. In that sense, Ms. Reddy's candidature adds some liveliness to the campaigns here," admits a Congress leader.

Voters who slant towards Congress will have a tough choice to make with Ward VI having four leaders, all claiming to be true Congressmen. These include former SCB member G.V. Balraj, Samala Sathi Reddy, B.V. Amarender and S.V. Prithvinath. The neighbouring Ward VII, which has just five candidates in all, has V. Jai Prakash and P.N. Madhuker, both waving the party's tricolour.

While BJP has A.G. Chandrashekar in Ward VI, it has opted out of the fray in the other ward. The TDP , however, has stakes in both in the form of M. Manohar Rao in Ward VI and C. Venugopal Reddy in Ward VII. Bahujan Samaj Party's S. Victor is also among the 18 candidates in Ward VI.

Areas: Bolarum, MCEME, parts of Trimulgherry, Alwal, Lothkunta etc

Voters: 18,941 after revision.

Earlier: 16,573

Polling stations: 22

Candidates: 18

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail