Andhra Pradesh - Karimnagar   

Alliance partners pitted against each other

Chada Venkat Reddy

A. Praveen Reddy

KARIMNAGAR: It is indeed a testing time for Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate Chada Venkat Reddy. The newly-formed Husnabad Assembly constituency, has V. Lakshmikantha Rao, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) nominee and another Grand Alliance partner, also in the fray along with him, though the seat has been allotted to the CPI.

Both -- the CPI and TRS -- candidates are claiming to be the real nominees of the alliance, leaving the rank and file of their ally, the Telugu Desam, in confusion.

The TRS, on one hand, says it is only a friendly contest, but on the other, is planning to rope in its president K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the campaign.

In this Communists’ stronghold, where the Telangana sentiment is also prevalent, the fight is thus mainly between the Grand Alliance constituents – the TRS and the CPI.

Husnabad has been carved out of Indurthi, a constituency which the CPI had won six times with a strong cadre base in at least three mandals. Post delimitation, TRS strongholds of Elkathurthy, Bheemadevarapalli and Saidapur mandals have been included in Husnabad.

The Congress has fielded Mulkanoor Cooperative Bank Chairman A. Praveen Reddy banking on his individual rapport with people, besides relying on the developmental works to fetch him votes.

Though he initially faced rebel threat from former legislator Bomma Venkateshwar and Huzurabad Market Committee Chairman K. Sudarshan Reddy, the party high command has neutralised the threat and the two are now actively participating in the electioneering along with the candidate.

The Praja Rajyam (PR) candidate and former Minister E. Peddi Reddy is depending on old friends from the TDP and development that he initiated. Besides, he is confident that Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan’s glamour quotient will fetch him votes from youth.

He is also expecting the ideological differences between the Grand Alliance constituents to split votes.

BJP has Kotha Srinivas Reddy campaigning on the one-liner about creation of Telangana state in 100 days.

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