2 weeks ago
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As the campaign for Lok Sabha elections enters the last 10 days, Ministers are sweating out in the harsh summer heat to ensure the Congress flag flies high and is in the good books of the party’s high command that has directed the Ministers to stay put in the constituencies allotted to them.
Poor performance may not have an impact on their position but will certainly hamper their future growth in the party and the respect they command in New Delhi. Ever since AICC Secretary K. C. Venugopal, in a meeting in Hyderabad, asked them to move out of Hyderabad and confine themselves in the constituencies, none of them are seen here.
The stakes are high for the Ministers more than the contestants themselves in these elections as the majority of the Lok Sabha candidates of the Congress are not stalwarts themselves. Except for MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, who is the contestant in Nizamabad, the remaining are relatively dependent on the charisma of the party, Chief Minister and the Ministers concerned.
Former Union Minister Balaram Naik, a contestant from Mahbubabad (ST reserved) constituency and Mallu Ravi, a contestant from Nagarkurnool (ST reserved) are the other exceptions who have the experience of serving in the Parliament on behalf of Congress. But they too are dependent on the Ministers for financial and muscle strength.
Suresh Shetkar from Zaheerabad was an MP from 2009 to 2014 and is perhaps the only old-timer who is financially strong to take on the BRS and BJP candidates. Chevella contestant Ranjit Reddy, who was a BRS MP from 2019 to 2023, is now the Congress candidate. Despite his financial muscle, he is dependent on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s charisma.
The challenging task among all in the Cabinet is Mr. Revanth Reddy, who is expected to win the Mahabubnagar and Malkagiri seats apart from Chevella. It is a big challenge as these are considered the toughest in terms of the opponent’s quality and their strength.
Women Ministers have tough task
The two women Ministers in the Cabinet — D Seethakka and Konda Surekha — face a stiff challenge in emerging successful in their task as the constituencies allotted to them are not represented by the Congress in many Assembly constituencies.
Seethakka is entrusted with the responsibility of the Adilabad (ST reserved) constituency that is held by the BJP in the Parliament now while in the recent Assembly elections too BJP showed its strength winning several constituencies and the Congress could win in just one seat out of the seven. Moreover, Congress polled just 2.51 lakh votes compared to the BJP which secured about 4.47 lakh votes and the BRS which got about 4.47 lakh votes. It’s a big task for Seethakka to secure the victory of Atram Suguna, a first entrant into electoral politics.
Similarly, firebrand Minister Konda Surekha is taking care of the Medak constituency where the BRS is the strongest in terms of MLAs and huge margins that the party secured thanks to the constituencies represented by BRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao (Gajwel) and former Minister T. Harish Rao (Siddipet). Congress won just one seat (Medak Assembly) while the remaining six are with the BRS.
In terms of votes, the party is in second place with about 4.2 lakh votes compared to 6.68 lakh votes of the BRS and the 2.2 lakh votes of the BJP. It is no easy task for her to overcome the strength of the BRS here and moreover, the Congress candidate too is relatively new.
Nalgonda and Khammam constituencies are considered to be the safest for Congress in terms of its representation in the Assembly. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is taking care of the Nalgonda constituency is sitting pretty while Deputy Chief Minister Bhati Vikramarka, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao represent the district in the Cabinet. Mr. Tummala, who is incharge of the Mahabubabad constituency, may find it easy given the party strength there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar too has a tough assignment in Karimnagar, where the BJP and BRS are way ahead in campaigning with the delayed declaration of the Congress candidate. Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao (incharge of Nagarkurnool), IT Minister D Sridhar Babu (Peddapally) and Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy (Secunderabad) are the others leaving no stone unturned.
Three MLAs have also been entrusted with the responsibility of Parliament elections this time. Former minister Sudarshan Reddy will be the incharge for Nizamabad while MLAs Revuri Prakash Reddy and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy are looking after Warangal and Bhuvanagiri constituencies respectively.
Though officially, Advisor to Chief Minister Vem Narendra Reddy (Chevella), former MLAs Sampath Kumar (Mahabubnagar) and Mainampally Hanumantha Rao (Malkajigiri) have been entrusted with the responsibility, it is the Chief Minister who is expected to win these three constituencies.
