Backward classes hold key to Nizamabad-urban constituency, Congress hopes on split in Vyshya votes

Assembly Constituency :Nizamabad Urban

District: Nizamabad

MLA: Bigala Ganesh Gupta (Vyshya)

Total Voters: 2,74,372

Booths: 289

Urban Voters: 75%

Rural Voters: 25%

Male: 50%

Female: 50%

Caste & Religious Demography:

• Gen + OBC: 87.1%

• SC: 8.9%

• ST: 4%

• Hindu: 67.4%

• Muslim: 30.6%

• Others: 2%

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Candidates

Bigala Ganesh Gupta (BRS)

Born to Krishna Murthy Gupta on June 2, 1969 , married to Latha, and has two daughters Ridhi and Riya. He has a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) degree from Gulbarga University in 1996. Two-time MLA from this constituency, he has good relations with local communities.

Shabbir Ali (Congress)

Shabbir Ali started his political career from student politics, first as part of the NSUI in the late 1970s and then the Youth Congress. Shabbir won his first Assembly poll from Kamareddy in 1989. Four years later, as part of the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government, Shabbir set up a Minorities Welfare Department, becoming the first to hold a Minorities Welfare Ministry in the country.

Dhanpal Suryanarayan Gupta (BJP)

Dhanpal Suryanarayan Gupta is the State BJP executive committee member. A strong contender from the Vyshya community, he is pitted against Bigala Ganesh in a constituency dominated by the Vyshyas. In 2018 he led a revolt against the BJP State leadership for denying him a ticket.

Assembly constituency information:

Geography:-Nizamabad Urban has been divided into 60 divisions. In recent municipal elections, the TRS (now BRS) alliance with AIMIM and others won the municipal corporation. BJP alone won in 28 divisions.

Background:

• Since 1994, Congress has been the ruling party and Dharmapuri Srinivas, former PCC president, won four times continuously.
• In the 2009 elections, Endala Lakshmi Narayana from the BJP won here and in the 2010 by-elections, he contested and won, defeating Dharmapuri Srinivas.
• Nizamabad Urban is a Muslim-dominated the constituency. The AIMIM has a strong cadre and dedicated voters in the Assembly.
• Politically Munnuru Kapu dominated this Assembly constituency till 2014. From 2014, Vyshyas has been dominating.
• Electorally Muslims and Munnuru Kapu are active in this constituency.

MLA Profile:

Political background: Bigala Ganesh Gupta started his political journey with the BRS. He contested as an MP in 2009 for the TRS but lost. In 2014 and 2018, he won consecutively from Nizamabad Urban Constituency as an MLA.

Financial Strength: Strong

Remarks: Unable to solve the basic issues like drainage and road expansion problems.

Cultural

Nizamabad Fort, Alisagar Reservoir, Pocharam Wild Sanctuary, Nizam Sagar Dam, Kanteswar Temple and Veerebhadra Swamy Temple

2014 Assembly analysis:

• In 2014, the BRS won this Assembly because of Telangana sentiment.

• The AIMIM was able to consolidate Muslim votes.

• Suryanarayana Dhanpal of the BJP, an active RSS leader, has been declared as MLA Candidate two to three months ahead of the elections. As a result, he was able to consolidate votes. North Indians, particularly Gujarathi people supported him.

• The Congress was able to secure a split vote of Muslims, and the majority of SC votes.

• The BRS was able to secure split votes from all communities, mostly they were able to consolidate Padmashali votes

2018 Assembly analysis:

• In 2018, the BRS had internal support from the AIMIM, because of this, BRS MLA Bigala Ganesh was able to split the Muslim votes in the Elections.

• Most parts of the BC community, except Muslims, were more aligned toward the BRS

• The Congress was able to consolidate SC and Muslim votes.

• BJP candidate Endala Lakshmi Narayana was not active on the ground and lost his cadre. Due to this, when compared to 2014 he got fewer votes, of 10,000.

Current situation:

• The BRS MLA Bigala Ganesh has acquired anti-incumbency sentiment due to his unavailability in the constituency.

• The BJP Leader Suryanarayna Dhanpal is gaining strength in the constituency by building a cadre.

• Congress leader Shabbir Ali relies mostly on past laurels and on Muslim votes

Key local issues:

1. Potable water

2. Road connectivity.

3. Drainage

4. Shortage of staff in government Hospitals.