The Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency, which came into existence in 2008 under the guidelines of Delimitation Commission of India, is home to unlimited competition and uncertain results.
If Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy (Congress) won by nearly 1.4 lakh majority in 2008, he lost ground by some 30,000 votes, a 2.5% margin, to TRS’ Boora Narsaiah Goud in 2014, the year of Telangana’s triumph.
Term on term, the BJP too gained 1.83 lakh votes, but the CPI(M), the 2009 runner-up with 3.64 lakh votes, was stunted to just 54,000 votes.
A decade later now, all the parties are in the fray, and everyone’s aim is to fly their flag on the Bhongir fort, the symbol of history and struggle since 10th century.
TRS confident
For Narsaiah Goud, the sitting MP, who claims a clean image “fighting the Centre and getting Telangana AIIMS” and building “a new Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri” under Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, victory is his party’s name. All its leaders also believe that “whether Bhongir Fort or the Red Fort, the pink flag will be hoisted”.
But for the major opponent Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Congress’ four-time legislator from Nalgonda and brother of former MP here, established cadres is the forte. “I will be Bhongir’s voice in Parliament, and against CM KCR here,” he asserted in his massive campaigns.
Going by State election results, it appears TRS enjoys a grip on five of the seven segments in the parliament constituency — Jangaon, Ibrahimpatnam, Bhongir, Alair and Thungathurthy, and in Nakrekal — since last month after it attracted the Congress legislator. Munugode is still held by the Congress.
Figures don’t lie, but liars do figure, its stranglehold is only as strong as an average 18,000-vote margin, the least being 376 votes in Ibrahimpatnam.
Adding to the contest is BJP’s P.V. Shyam Sundar, who attributes district development to Central funds, besides enjoys towners’ support. And CPI’s Godha Sriramulu too, with communist foot soldiers in at least five segments, could potentially launch a spoiler effect on the whole party.
But all is not said and done without mentioning the welcome statue at the characteristic Bhongir Fort — Papadu or Sardar Sarvai Papanna, the Goud monarch during Mughal rule.
Goud influence
The constituency with a dominant Goud population, experts believe, will swing the contest for TRS candidate Narsaiah Goud. And that’s why the party was doubly ensuring, in attracting Budidha Bhikshamiah Goud, Congress’ strong leader here only last fortnight.
The Komatireddy brothers, despite changing political equations, claim that they are backed by sizeable cadres and popularity among backward classes.
But lessons from the past say it is only the vote-loving people of the constituency that decided or stumped big names.
The seven-segment average voter turnout was 79.64% in 2014 general election, and 88.40 % in the 2018 State elections (Alair and Bhongir registered the highest in the State).