The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Congress bastion on tenterhooks

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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress bastion on tenterhooks

Ravi Reddy

Clashes between Congress and TRS cadres mar Vangara landscape

TRS-backed nominees sweep gram panchayat elections in Vangara
Educated youth harp on the need for separate Telangana

— Photo: Satish .H

Changed times: Youth trained by the TRS to motivate villagers to back statehood demand outside the ancestral house of former Prime Minster P.V. Narasimha Rao at Vangara in Bheemadevarapally mandal of Karimnagar district on Wednesday.

VANGARA (Karimnagar DT): Telangana sentiment has virtually divided this village, once a bastion of the Congress party and native place of former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. The differences have reached such a dimension that loyalists of the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) have almost stopped attending social functions of their rivals.

In fact, political equations in Vangara, about 70 km from Karimnagar, have significantly changed after the youth started getting attracted towards the TRS.

Clashes between Congress and TRS supporters has become a regular feature ever since the TRS backed nominees swept the gram panchayat elections. The elections have also split people of different castes on party lines, said Md Ashfaque Ahmed, a post graduate from the village.

Bad trend

“A disturbing trend is that people are continuing to harbour enmity after the elections so much so that they do not invite rivals for social gathering or even for any death in the family,” Parkala Rajnikanth noted.

“The situation is becoming tense with frequent clashes,” remarked Nallagoni Ramulu, an unemployed youth.

A Government teacher Mujeeb Ahmed feel the urgent need to re-locate the police station at Vangara, which was shifted to Saidapur. A feature that catches the attention of visitors to village is the role donned by educated youth.

Orientation classes

After participating in orientation classes at the TRS headquarters in Hyderabad, they are going door-to-door to canvass support for Huzurabad TRS nominee and former Minister V. Laxmikanta Rao and harping on the need for separate Telangana.

“We are trying to convince our elders the need to support the cause of statehood as it will generate more jobs,” said N. Anil Kumar.

“There are more than 200 graduates here struggling for jobs,” added Nagaraju, a graduate himself. Inspite of visible development in the area and the spate of welfare measures initiated by the Congress Government, Telangana sentiment is uppermost in the minds of locals.

Women are no different on this score. "We have been voting for the Congress party for a long time. But, this time we feel the need to strengthen the TRS,” said R. Saroja, a self help group member.

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