Can Lasya Nanditha's, G Vennela's legacies sway Secunderabad Cantonment voters?

Assembly constituency: Secunderabad Cantonment

District: Hyderabad

MLA: Late. G.Sayanna (Mala)

Reservation: SC

Total Voters: 2,40,529

Booths: 232

Urban Voters: 100%

Rural Voters: 0%

Male: 52 %

Female: 48 %

Caste & Religious Demography

Gen + BC: 87 %

SC: 11%

ST: 1 %

Hindu: 78 %

Muslim: 13 %

Others : 9 %

Candidates

G Lasya Nanditha (BRS)

G Lasya Nanditha is the elder daughter of the late Secunderabad Cantonment MLA G Sayanna. She previously worked as a corporator in Kavadiguda. She was elected as a corporator in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in 2016. She lost by 1,477 votes to BJP candidate, Rachana Sri, in 2020.

Following her father's demise, Lasya was given the BRS ticket from Secunderabad Cantonment. She hopes to win the seat, serve her constituents, and carry on her father's legacy.

Dr. G.V. Venella (Congress)

Dr. G.V. Vennela, a graduate of Osmania University with a doctorate in management studies and a post-graduate diploma in school management, is the daughter of revolutionary leader Balladeer Gaddar.

In the 2023 Assembly elections, the 43-year-old is going to taken on Lasya Nandita, daughter of late G Sayanna, a five-time MLA, to upload her father's legacy, who passed away in August 2023.

Krishna Prasad (BJP)

T Krishna Prasad, a Mechanical Engineer from REC Warangal (1983) with a master's degree from IIM Ahmedabad (1985), was appointed to the IPS in 1986. He obtained an LLB degree in 2016 and is currently pursuing his PhD.

A distinguished IPS officer who served the country for 34 years as CID chief, IGP Computers, Commissioner of Police (CP), Superintendent of Police (SPs) in four districts, and DIG in two ranges joined the BJP last year. Retired IPS officer T. Krishna Prasad is contesting on behalf of the BJP from Secunderabad Cantonment constituency in Telangana Assembly election 2023.

Constituency details

Geography

The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) is the administrative body responsible for the Secunderabad cantonment area, situated in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad.

The SCB comprises eight civilian wards, each with a population of four lakh.

Secunderabad cantonment, a 40.1 sq km military area managed by the Union Defence Ministry, includes numerous military camps and a protected 2,000-acre land bank since the British era.

Background

In the last 14 elections, the Congress has won six times, the TDP five times, and MLA G Sayanna five times from Secunderabad cantonment. The Secunderabad Cantonement, an urban seat, was primarily known as a personality-driven seat due to Sayyana's leadership.

MLAs typically hold only 20 percent of the power in the area, with the Indian Army managing the remaining 80 percent. Most issues, including drinking water and drainage, are managed and controlled by the army, with decisions and development activities overseen by the army and cantonment president.

The board is led by an army officer, with eight board members elected from the general public. Since 2020, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board has been dissolved, necessitating elections to merge with the state government's merger plans.

MLA Profile

Personal details

G Sayyana, the late MLA, was married to L.S. Geetha, and the couple have three sons and one daughter. Sayanna, an Osmania University LLB graduate, was a five-term MLA from Secunderabad cantonment.

Political details

G. Sayyana's daughter, G Lasya Nanditha, was a former Kavadiguda division corporator. In the most recent GHMC elections, she was defeated by a BJP candidate. Sayyana, who was well-liked in the SC community, was a powerful candidate. After he joined the TRS (now BRS), a majority of his cadres followed him.

Historical/cultural places

• Lal Bazar Mahankali Temple
• Holy Trinity Church, Bolarum
• Bolarum Library
• Ayyappa Swamy Temple
• Rashtrapati Nilayam
• Tadbund Hanuman temple
• Masthana Hotel
• Monda Market

2014 Assembly elections analysis

Former MLA Dr P Shankar Rao was considered as arrogant, and as a minister, he did not devote time to his Assembly constituency, whereas Sayyana ruled his constituency and was well-versed with Secunderabad cantonment issues.

With a strong cadre boost and the fear of seeing the TRS in power, a majority of settlers voted for Sayanna in the 2014 Assembly elections. The TRS cadre was weak, and the locals were unfamiliar with the leadership. Sayanna was elected for stability due to the public's mood of uncertainty. Sayanna's cadre was strong regardless his party affiliation.

Sayyana had a strong support base in the Mala community. Gajjeja Kantham, a Madiga community member, received a majority of his votes from the Congress core vote bank. Gajjela Nagesh was financially strong and actively worked for the Telangana movement; his main vote bank consisted of sympathisers of the Telangana movement and TRS loyalists.

2018 Assembly constituency analysis

Former TDP MLA G Sayanna joined the TRS ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections, along with other TDP legislators. Despite the fact that Congress candidate and former Union Minister Sarve Satyanarayana was strong, the cadre and local leaders were dissatisfied with his candidature because locals preferred Manne Krishank, son-in-law Satyanarayana, to get the Congress ticket.

Krishank supported the TRS owing to the family feud, and he joined the TRS after the elections. Sriganesh joined the BJP prior to the elections because the Congress denied him a ticket and instead gave it to veteran politician S Satyanarayana, who won this seat in 2009. People sympathised with Sriganesh Narayan, dividing Congress votes between him and Sarve Satyanarayana.

Gajjala Nagesh contested as an independent candidate after the TRS gave the ticket to G Sayanna, who won the previous election on behalf of the TDP. He received less than 1.5 percent of the vote because he was not a prominent leader and had no cadre.

Sarve Satyanarayana met with seven elected members of the Secunderabad Contonment Board (SCB) at various times. He invited the board members to join the Congress.

Three elected TRS members had decided to join the Congress, but after meeting with KTR, they remained silent. The failed efforts of the Congress, led by an ex-Union Minister, harmed his authority and image among locals. As a result, people were dissatisfied with the Congress's lack of unity and questioned its leadership.

Sarve Satyanarayana got a majority of his votes from Madiga community, Telangana voters, his personal cadre, and anti-Sayyana cadre. G Sayanna was able to win by a huge margin because he had TRS support, and KTR's close attention in this Assembly constituency bolstered the local TRS cadre.

The TRS maintained full control of the Assembly constituency from the army board. They also regularly connect with the Union Cabinet and the Secunderabad Cantonment board, and have attracted all basti and slum votes, as well as the SC vote bank, primarily from the Mala community.

Current Situation

BRS

The BRS attempted to merge the Secunderabad Cantonment Board into the GHMC and had been making headlines for it. Sayanna and Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav were close friends and made several attempts to merge the Cantonment Board and the GHMC.

Sayanna was attempting to project his daughter in the constituency in order to secure a ticket in the upcoming elections. He was certain he could get a ticket for his family. However, BRS leader Manne Krishank, who is close to BRS working president KT Rama Rao, was also hoping for a ticket. Following Sayyana's death, the BRS, instead, gave a ticket to his daughter G Lasya Nanditha from the constituency.

BJP

Sriganesh, who contested on behalf of the BJP ticket in the last elections, later joined the TRS. However, the BJP does not have a representative in the constituency. Madduri Shivaji, president of the Secunderabad BJYM, was appointed as the BJP's interim in-charge.

Members of the Secunderabad cantonment board joined the BJP recently in the presence of Minister Kishan Reddy. Former union minister Sarvey Satyanarayana, also joined the BJP a few months ago. Former IPS T Krishna Prasad is contesting on behalf of the BJP in Telangana elections 2023.

Congress

Despite a strong Congress cadre, they lack a prominent leader in the cantonment. Senior leader Sarve Satyanarayana contested on behalf of the Congress in the last elections, but he was later suspended from the party due to allegations he had made against former TPCC President Uttam Kumar Reddy. The Congress currently lacks official in-charge in this constituency.

Key local issues

• Double bedroom houses
• Ration cards
• Ramanna Kunta pond Kabza(Soujanya Colony)
• No state hospital
• Public demand for elevated corridor
• Road closures were making life difficult for residents
• Allahabad gate, Wellington, Ordinance, and Gough road cause major trouble to the public as it is directly under the army board.