Can Sunil Kumar Reddy, Aleti Annapurnamma thwart Vemula Prashanth Reddy from scoring hatrick in Balkonda?

Assembly Constituency- Balkonda

District: Nizamabad

MLA: Vemula Prashanth Reddy (Reddy)

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 2,08,419

Booths: 246

Urban Voters: 2%

Rural Voters: 98%

Male: 46.30 %

Female: 53.59%

Caste & Religious Demography

Gen + OBC: 76.20%

SC: 16.80%

ST: 7.00%

Hindu: 90.60%

Muslim: 8%

Others : 1.4%

Candidates

Vemula Prashanth Reddy (BRS)

Vemula Prashanth Reddy has been serving as Telangana's Minister for Roads, Buildings, Legislative Affairs, and Housing since September 8, 2019. He was elected to the Telangana Legislative Assembly from the Balkonda constituency on June 2, 2014.

Prashanth Reddy contested as the BRS candidate in the 2014 Assembly elections and won polling 69,145 votes (47.48 percent) against his rival, then-Congress MLA Eravathri Anilkumar, who got 32,897 votes (22.59 percent).

Prashanth Reddy was elected as an MLA for the second time in the 2018 Assembly elections, polling 73,662 votes (47.57 percent).

Sunil Kumar Muthyala (Congress)

Muthyala Sunil Kumar Reddy, a renowned social activist and philanthropist, is the owner of Orange Travels and lives in Morthad. Sunil Reddy, who is well-known in Balkonda, joined the Congress in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy in July 2023.

Sunil Reddy, from Savel village, won the second position in the 2018 elections on behalf of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

However, he later resigned from the party and joined the Congress ahead of Telangana elections 2023.

Aleti Annapurnamma (BJP)

Aleti Annapurna entered politics following the death of her husband, Aleti Mahipal Reddy, in 1991. Annapurna was elected as an MLA from Armoor in the 1994 and 2009 Assembly elections, but was defeated in the united Andhra Pradesh elections in 1999 and 2004.

Before joining the BJP in 2019, Annapurna served as the TDP's State vice-president, and her family had been associated with the TDP for four decades. For the past six years, her son, Dr. Aleti Mallikarjun Reddy, has been active in the Balkonda constituency.

The BJP has chosen former MLA A. Annapurna from Balkonda Assembly seat to ensure women's representation in the Legislative Assembly.

Geography

Balkonda Assembly constituency includes eight mandals: Balkonda, Mortada, Kammarpally, Mendora, Velpur, Yerugatla, Bheemgal, and Mupkal.

Background

Since 1989, the Congress has won Balkonda constituency five times, the Praja Rajyam Party once, and the TRS (now BRS) twice. This constituency is dominated politically by Reddyies and electorally by OCs.

MLA Profile

Personal information

Born on March 14, 1966, in Velpur Nizamabad district, Vemula Prashanth Reddy is the son of Vemula Surendra.

He earned a Civil Engineering degree from Bheemanna College in Karnataka.

Political Background

He joined the TRS alongside his father, Vemula Surender Reddy, and was an active participant in the Telangana agitation.

Prashant Reddy, a close aide of KCR, served as vice-chairman of Mission Bhagiratha from 2015 to 2018.

Vemula Prashanth Reddy won the Balkonda seat in 2018 by defeating Sunil Kumar Muthyala of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) by 32,000 votes. He was inducted into KCR's cabinet in the year 2018.

Financial strength: Very strong

2014 Assembly constituency Analysis

The victory in this seat was largely due to Telangana sentiment and strong anti-incumbency against MLA Anil Kumar Eravatri, who switched from the PRP to the Congress.

Vemula Prashanth Reddy received support from his father, Vemula Surender Reddy, a prominent farmer and leader in the Assembly constituency. Sunil Reddy actively campaigned along with him during the 2014 Elections.

The TRS successfully consolidated Reddy votes and, with the help of Sunil Reddy, split Maadiga, Mala, and Lambadi votes.

The Congress received a majority of Padmashaali votes, as well as a portion of SC votes, in addition to its core vote bank of traditional voters. The TDP received 25,494 votes in an alliance with the BJP.

2018 Assembly Elections Analysis

Vemula Prashanth Reddy was embroiled in a squabble with his colleague Sunil Kumar Reddy Mutyala, who contested for the same seat in 2018 elections.

Sunil Reddy, who maintains a good rapport with the BRS president KCR's daughter K Kavitha, initially planned to contest on the TRS ticket but ended up contesting on behalf of the BSP candidate and garnered 41,000 votes.

Vemula Prashanth Reddy was successful in consolidating the votes of Reddy and Munnuru Kapu within the constituency. Sunil Reddy successfully divided the votes in Padmashali, Madiga, Mala, and Lambada.

Congress candidate Anil Kumar Eravatri secured the third position in the elections with 30,000 votes, representing 19.65 percent of the vote share.

Current Situation

Currently, the constituency lacks a strong leader to challenge Vemula Prashanth Reddy. Congress candidate Anil Kumar Eravatri is actively participating in party meetings in the constituency, but he lacks the financial resources to compete against BRS candidate Vemula Prashanth.

Mutyala Sunil Reddy, the rebel leader, is not currently active in politics, but he is financially strong. TPCC Chief Revanth Reddy, who attempted to entice him into Congress, gave him the party ticket to contest from Balkonda constituency.

Sunil Kumar Reddy's nomination is seen as a strategic move to increase the Congress's influence in the Balkonda Assembly constituency. His addition can strengthen the party's presence with his strong local connections and influence.