Lightweights eye heavy gains

Karthik Reddy, Vishweshwar, Virender hope for baptism

BC voters hold the key to final outcome

Hyderabad: Despite having been created only in the previous general elections (2009), the prestigious Chevella Lok Sabha seat is poised to create political history irrespective of whoever wins this time around. By and large, it will send a first-timer to the Parliament.

In an interesting triangular contest, the contenders are inheritors of dynastic legacy and each is battling it out to not only enter the portals of Parliament but also uphold the family name.

The battle lines are drawn and the front runners are Konda Vishweshwar Reddy (TRS), P Karthik Reddy (Congress) and T Virender Goud (TDP), whose political future literally wrests in the hands of an estimated 20 lakh voters.

Chevella Lok Sabha seat comprises of Serilingampally, Maheshwaram, Rajendranagar, Chevella, Parigi, Vikarabad and Tandur Assembly segments. The highest number of voters are in Serilingampally (5.3 lakh) followed by Maheshwaram (3.7 lakh), Rajendranagar (3.6 lakh), Pargi (2.07 lakh), Chevella (SC)-2.01 lakh, Vikarabad-1.90 lakh and Tandur-1.84 lakh.

BC voters, predominantly from Goud, Yadav and Mudiraj communities, account for 60 per cent of the electorate while OCs, SCs and STs comprise the rest. The strength of minorities is considerably smaller in comparison to Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts.

Chevella was in the limelight in 2009 because Congress heavyweight and Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy chose this route to the Lower House. He won over his nearest rival, P Jitender Reddy of TDP by a margin of over 18, 000 votes.

With Jaipal Reddy preferring Mahabubnagar this time, Congress roped in P Karthik Reddy, son of former State Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy for Chevella. On the other hand, TRS fielded businessman Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, son of former chief justice of AP High Court K Madhava Reddy and grand-son of former deputy chief minister K V Ranga Reddy in whose name the district was named. He is perhaps the richest candidate in fray with assets of over Rs 528 crore, as was mentioned in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission.

Speaking to The Hans India, TRS contestant Konda Vishweshwar Reddy exuded confidence about his victory. There is a strong undercurrent in favor of Telangana, which will fetch good number of votes for TRS. Another factor their favor is the decimation of TDP in segments such as Tandur, Parigi and Chevella with sitting MLAs joining TRS recently. According to him, the fight is a toss-up between TRS and the Congress.

However, Karthik Reddy feels that Chevella voters would repose faith in the national party for having agreed to the creation of a separate state. On how intends to connect with the masses considering that only three weeks were left for D-Day, he pointed out that he had concentrated and cultivated the segment for the last seven years hoping to become MP some day.

Virender Goud, son of TDP senior leader Devender Goud took a vow to solve all problems plaguing this constituency. Goud initially planned to contest from Uppal Assembly segment but his hopes were dashed after it was allotted to BJP as part of electoral alliance between the two parties.