Andhra Pradesh - Nizamabad   

Muslim voters hold the key

A.S. Poshetty (TRS)

D. Srinivas (Congress)

NIZAMABAD: A cosmopolitan constituency with a mix of people from South and North, including Sikhs, the Nizamabad Urban Assembly segment is an interesting constituency with Muslim voters deciding the fate of candidates of major political parties.

Consequent to delimitation, Nizamabad Urban comprises voters of 50 municipal divisions where APCC president Dharmapuri Srinivas, A. S. Poshetty (TRS), Yendala Lakshminarayana (BJP) and Raheem Saifi (Praja Rajyam) are fighting it out.

It has predominant Muslim voters followed by Munnurukapu and Padmashali communities.

The election is interestingly poised as a four-cornered contest has become inevitable. The Congress appears to be comfortably placed, compared to internal bickering among the alliance partners what with the TDP strongly opposing allotment of the seat to the TRS.

So is the case with PR, where cadres are against the official nominee.

After a disastrous election debut in 1985, Mr. Srinivas made it to the Assembly in 1989 only to lose the 1994 election as a Minister.

Subsequently, he won the 1999 and 2004 elections.

Mr. Srinivas’s significant achievements include setting up of Telangana University and a medical college, Godavari water supply to the city and other welfare programmes. Issues like delay in execution of underground drainage works, lopsided implementation of Indiramma housing and erratic power supply may dent the Congress’ fortunes. The BJP candidate, belonging to Munnurukapu community, hopes to gain sympathy for losing to Mr. Srinivas.

A trade union leader known for his fight for the cause of beedi workers, the Grand Alliance nominee, Mr. Poshetty, may give a tough time to the Congress candidate if the alliance works in unison. Beedi workers, who constitute a major chunk of voters, may back him.

Praja Rajyam candidate Mr. Raheem Saifi depends on minority votes and glamour of Chiranjeevi.

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