Will Telangana sentiment work in Sanatnagar?

By HNN Election Desk

It’s a battle between development plank and Telangana sentiment in the Sanathnagar assembly constituency.

The sitting MLA and current nominee from Sanathnagar Marri Shashidhar Reddy has won this seat twice, and is now harping on the development works he has undertaken, while TRS candidate T Padma Rao is hoping to cash in on the Telangana sentiment in this election.

The BJP has fielded former party floor leader in the municipal corporation Shyam Sunder from here. Interestingly, Begumpet ex-corporator and TDP leader G R Linga Murthy also filed his nomination, but as an independent. Murthy, however, withdrew his nomination later.

While M Shashidhar Reddy began his campaign 10 days ago, others hit the campaign trail on Saturday. Shashidhar Reddy, the son of former chief minister Marri Channa Reddy, has been undertaking a low-profile campaign in colonies without rallies and fanfare, choosing to seek votes on the basis of his past performance as legislator from the constituency.

“I never make any promises to voters whether they are from a posh colony or a slum. I just respond to my constituents whenever they bring any problem or issue to my notice,” Shashidhar Reddy told TOI while campaigning at Model colony near Sanathnagar. His wife Indira, sons Aditya and Pururava and daughter Hem are supporting him in the campaigning.

Shashidhar Reddy who has an MS from the US and is a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, tells a small gathering at Model Colony, “I have taken up several activities when you petitioned me in the past. Now, I have the right and liberty to seek your vote again.”

This Congress nominee claims to have a 20-year old association with this colony. “When my father and former chief minister Marri Channa Reddy contested from this assembly segment in 1989, I looked after his election campaign,” he states. Shashidhar Reddy had contested from Sanathnagar in the 1994, 1999 and 2004 assembly elections and lost only in 1999, to TDP’s S Rajeshwar.

“Recently, our colony was sanctioned a water pipeline of 6 mm in place of 4 mm thanks to the efforts of our MLA. When a file pertaining to modern lights went missing in the corporation, he sent his PA to the corporation and got the lights sanctioned,” S Sudhakar Reddy, a resident of Model Colony, told TOI.

Among Shashidhar Reddy’s opponents for the seat is the former municipal corporator and Greater Hyderabad TRS president T Padma Rao, who was MLA from Secunderabad in 2004. “There is a strong Telangana sentiment in the city. TDP and communist parties are also strong in this constituency,” said Padma Rao, exuding confidence.

“Also, there are several slums in areas like Bansilalpet, Ambedkar Nagar and Balkampet where TRS and TDP have a strong base,” the TRS candidate added.

Then there is the BJP candidate and former corporator from Ameerpet Shyam Sunder, who hopes that the development activities he took up during his tenure as corporator in Ameerpet area and the strong party cadre in the constituency will help him win.

CONSTITUENCY PROFILE SANATNAGAR
Total no. of voters: 1,83,015 |
Male voters: 94,069 |
Female voters: 88,946 |

The main areas: SP Road, Mahankali Street, Patigadda, Park Lane, RP Road, Subash Road, Monda Market, Balkampet, Bansilalpet, Ameerpet, Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar, Patigadda, Begumpet, Old Ghasmandi and other areas. Delimitation had some impact on this constituency. While Bhoiguda, Padmaraonagar and Bansilalpet areas were added in Sanatnagar, some areas like Fatehnagar, parts of Begumpet and parts of Sanatnagar were included in the newly-created Kukatpally assembly constituency.