Huzurabad bypoll: Vote splits families as TRS, Eatala in dead heat

HUZURABAD: It’s a neck-and-neck race between veteran Eatala Rajender (BJP) and first-timer Gellu Srinivas Yadav (TRS) in Huzurabad. The contest has split voters within families right down the middle, as they weigh in on the bond with the six-term MLA vs welfare schemes of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
While in 2018 assembly polls voters picked Eatala to hand victory to TRS, now both want the same voters to dump the other. The former minister had joined BJP after being dropped from the state cabinet on allegations of land grabbing by the TRS.

Voters said that though Eatala appeared to have the edge over the TRS initially, finance minister T Harish Rao, who is spearheading the campaign for the ruling party, has turned tables to bring pink party on level. As the political temperature went up, villagers point out work done in the last two months by Harish Rao: dark streets were now illuminated with streetlights, roads laid and other projects sanctioned.
“Harish Rao is not only making promises, but fulfilling them. The Saidapur road was neglected for the last 15 years. Within three days of his promise, Harish Rao got a new road laid,” said Ch Navya who runs a supermarket in Jammikunta.
Those supporting Eatala are not necessarily BJP backers and those leaning towards KCR-led TRS are not that impressed with Gellu Srinivas. Congress also is trying hard to make it a triangular contest with its candidate Balmoor Venkat reaching out to almost every voter through road shows and padayatra.