Sanathnagar: Shashidhar Reddy set for a hat-trick

There are 2,20,979 voters in the constituency where there are 1,17,967 men and 1,03,000 women with 12 voters in the others category. Marri Shashidhar Reddy from the Congress is the two-time sitting MLA.

The UPA government recently sanctioned a medical college and a post-graduate medical institute under the finances of state-run medical care provider Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). There are many commercial areas like Begumpet, Monda Market, Park Lane and Ameerpet, where business continues to thrive. Hence there are many voters from the business community. Other areas like SR Nagar, Balkampet and Padmarao Nagar, are known for its residential colonies, which too have seen a huge spurt in the past decade.

When it rains for more than one hour, a majority of the colonies in Ameerpet, Sanathnagar, Balkampet, Padmarao Nagar and Begumpet are covered under sheets of water. All these divisions have other civic issues like bad roads, overflowing drains, traffic and haphazard parking to be dealt with. Settlers, who migrated from different regions of the state, are seen in almost all these divisions. They constitute a majority of the voters in the constituency and their votes could be a crucial factor in deciding the fate of contestants. Students and migrant employees in Ameerpet want provision of basic amenities like better hostel facilities and food at subsidised rates as most of the hostels are cramped. In Ameerpet, there is also a dearth of pavements. In areas like Monda Market, Pan Bazar, Park Lane, Penderghast Road and Ramgopalpet, want of parking space is a crying need among the voters.

Ever since the constituency was formed in 1978, Congress won five times and TDP won thrice. Former Chief Minister Marri Chenna Reddy won from this constituency. His son, incumbent MLA and NDMA vice-chairman Marri Sashidhar Reddy, is assured of a ticket from the Congress.

TDP Greater Hyderabad president Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who represented Secunderabad Assembly constituency, in the previous polls might contest from Sanathnagar this time around. TRS which is banking on ‘T’ wave is likely to field Dande Vithal.

Hyma Praveen, a resident of Sanathnagar, is contesting in the elections on a Lok Satta ticket. She was recently invited as a keynote speaker at Harvard India Conference in Boston in February. The Harvard India Conference website declared, “From Houston to Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, Hyma Praveen, is a self-made woman leader. She is committed to transforming Indian politics despite surviving a petrol attack in December.”

Though many argue that the incumbent MLA doesn’t address the problems of voters in the constituency and not much development works were undertaken in the past five years, Sashidhar Reddy has the backing of minority votes, which would see him through.