Parties cosying up to Seemandhra voters

​Hyderabad: People from Seemandhra region living in Telangana have occupied centre stage with the main political parties vying with each other for their votes to win in the forthcoming election to Assembly. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Congress led alliance have been leaving no stone unturned to win over the Seemandhra people living in Telangana. They have been showering promises on Seemandhra people to secure their votes.

The Seemandhra people living in Telangana were at the centre stage during the Telangana agitation. The Seemandhra people were ignored in the 2014 elections. People from Seemandhra settled in Telangana for decades constitute a much stronger force than thought of. According to the calculation of the Congress party, as many as 30 lakh people from Seemandhra live in various districts of Telangana.

A senior leader of the Congress said that the Election Commission has deleted names of more than 30 lakh voters in the special summery revision and as 20 lakh of them are Seemandhra people. The leader said the Seemandhra people spread across Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, parts of Mahbubnagar, Warangal, Nalgonda, Nizamabad and Khammam districts.

According to the estimates of the Congress, they form more than 10 per cent of the voters of Telangana, equally strong along with minorities, SCs, and STs, and are a deciding force in 25 constituencies. They have their strong presence in Jubilee Hills, Khiratabad, Kuckatpalli, Serilingampalli, Qutbullapur, Rajendra Nagar, LB Nagar, Patancheru, Ibrahimpatnam, Warangal West, Janagao, Alampur, Khammam, Kothagudem, Kodada, Miryalaguda and few others.

The TRS, which is aware of the strength of the Seemandhra people, has taken measures to win them over during the election to the GHMC and bagged 99 divisions. Later on the ruling party put focus on sustaining the support of Seemandhra people for it. The Congress has also realised the importance of them and has decided to win them over. It has contemplated givinv one working president of TPCC to Seemandhra leader.

The Congress wanted to give ticket to Seemandhra leader Nadendla Manohar from Jubilee Hills or Khairatabad in the next election. However, he joined the Jana Sena and was active in Andhra Pradesh politics. As the Congress is trying to have an alliance with Telugu Desam, party leaders are confident of winning over the Seemandhra people to their side in the next election.

A senior leader of the party said that for obvious reasons, the Seemandhra voters owe their loyalty to Telugu Desam and having truck with that party would pay rich dividends. With the help of Telugu Desam voters the Congress could win some of the constituencies of GHMC area and some in Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

The Congress has promised to establish a separate cell in the government to take care of the welfare of the Seemandhra people. The party has been assuring security to them. On the other hand, the TRS is also trying to gain the support of them. Industries Minister KT Rama Rao has made a fervent appeal to the people of Andhra
region to support the TRS.