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Muslim votes crucial in Rayachoti
The Rayachoti Assembly constituency has large number of Muslim voters compared to other communities. Their vote will decide the winner of the Rayachoti seat.
Kadapa: The Rayachoti Assembly constituency has large number of Muslim voters compared to other communities. Their vote will decide the winner of the Rayachoti seat. This time too, the YSRCP renominated sitting MLA Gadikota Srikanth Reddy and TDP gave ticket to R Ramesh Kumar Reddy, who lost in the 2014 elections. The people say Srikanth Reddy, being sitting MLA, failed to take up development works in the constituency.
His argument was that the TDP ruled State government did not allocate funds for development. Even, Ramesh Reddy also failed to get funds to the constituency despite TDP was in power. Drought, migration in search of livelihood and human trafficking are burning issues in the constituency. About 70,000 Muslim voters will play key role in deciding the fate of the contestants.
The Congress candidates won from Rayachoti eight times, TDP and YSRCP two each. Caretaker Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy have toured the constituency recently and showered sops on Muslim voters.
YS Jagan had assured Muslims of MLC post and protection of properties under the Wakf Board which are under the illegal occupation in Rayachoti town. Both party leaders promised to complete pending works of Veligonda and Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS).
The main political parties have fielded either Reddy or Kapu candidates for MLA seat despite presence of more Muslims in the constituency. Only in 1972, Sheik Habibullah Mahal had won from Rayachoti on Congress ticket.
The Rayachoti Assembly constituency falls under the Rajampet Lok Sabha segment. In 2014 elections, Srikanth Reddy defeated his TDP rival Ramesh Kumar Reddy with a margin of 34,682 votes. There are 2,25,388 voters as against 3,17,385 total population in the constituency. According to 2011 census, the share of SC, ST percentage is 10.23 and 2.64 respectively.
