In a constituency where women outnumbered men, founder of Telugu Desam Party N T Rama Rao won the election from Nalgonda in 1985 with a margin of 30,000 votes. He, however, resigned from the seat and chose to retain Gudivada Assembly seat in coastal Andhra Pradesh. He was the first Andhra politician to get elected in Telangana region.
Nalgonda, one of 12 Assembly constituencies in the erstwhile Nalgonda district, is spread across Nalgonda, Thipparthy, Kanagal and Madgulapally blocks. According to Special Revision of Electoral Rolls-2017, there are 1,95,180 voters, including 97,108 men, 98,058 women and 14 others.
Congress bastion
Nalgonda Assembly constituency has been a stronghold of Congress except during the NTR wave that swept the undivided state of Andhra Pradesh. Congress candidates have won eight elections since 1952. Congress fielded Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who won the seat in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.
In 2014 Komatireddy defeated his nearest rival, Kancharla Bhupal Reddy of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by over 10,000 votes. Kancharla Bhupal Reddy is trying his luck once again against the formidable Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who is in the race for Chief Minister’s post.
Komatireddy during his campaign has promised that if Congress is voted to power in Telangana, he would complete the SLBC tunnel and Udaya Samudram, Brahmana Vellemla irrigation project which provides irrigation and safe drinking water to lakhs of acres of land and fluoride-hit villages in the district.
Hectic campaign
With the candidates launching door to door campaign in Nalgonda town and surrounding areas, Nalgonda is all set to witness a nail biting finish. “Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is revered by the people of the district. It was Congress that brought Krishna river water to the district. KCR promised door to door water supply but failed,” Neelakantham Sailu, a former Sarpanch and staunch supporter of Reddy said.
However, youth in Nalgonda town argue that Reddy has failed to bring development to the constituency. “He is at loggerheads with KCR. In the Assembly he threw headphones at the Speaker,” they recall. Sridhar, a computer operator in Nalgonda town, feels that the TRS has a better chance this time as the winning margin between Congress and TRS candidates last time was thin. “I am winning this time. Reddy is day dreaming. The youth and the farmers are with us. KCR is in the hearts of everyone. They will vote for us,” Bhupal Reddy contends.