KCR set to win Kamareddy while Revanth makes fight interesting, BJP candidate trying to win over people with philanthropy

Assembly Constituency :Kamareddy

District: Kamareddy

MLA: Gampa Govardhan (Puragiri Kshatriya/ Perika)

Total Voters: 2,34,609

Booths: 266

Urban Voters: 27%

Rural Voters: 73%

Male: 50%

Female: 50%

Caste & Religious Demography

• Gen + BC: 80.6%

• SC: 14.2%

• ST: 5.2%

• Hindu: 87.8%

• Muslim: 11.1%

• Others: 0.8%

Candidates

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (BRS)

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (born 17 February 1954), popularly known as KCR, is the first and current Chief Minister of Telangana who is in his second term. KCR, the founder of the TRS (now BRS), began his political career with the Youth Congress in Medak district. Rao joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1983 and contested against A Madan Mohan and lost the elections. He won four consecutive Assembly elections from 1985 and 1999 in Siddipet. From 1987 to 1988, he worked as Minister of Drought and Relief in Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's Cabinet and later as Transport Minister in Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s Cabinet. He quit the Deputy Speaker's post and launched the TRS.

A Revanth Reddy (Congress)

Anumula Revanth Reddy started his political career as a student union leader. He was associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Just after completing his graduation from AV College, Osmania University, in 1992, he got married to Congress leader Jaipal Reddy's niece. Then he started his career in mainstream politics with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He left the TDP in 2017 and after a couple of months, joined the Congress. He became the TPCC chief and is now contesting for both Kodangal and Kamareddy.

Tatipalli Venkata Ramana Reddy (BJP)

Venkata Ramana Reddy is a local man and a great fan of YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He started his political career with the Congress. He is a philanthropist and has announced a manifesto on his own. Ramana Reddy is asking for votes to trounce two outsiders, KCR and Revanth Reddy.

Assembly constituency information:

• Kamareddy Assembly constituency consists of Machareddy, Domakonda and Bhiknoor mandals along with Kamareddy municipality.
• Kamareddy is the commercial and trade centre of north Telangana.
• It is a BC and ST dominant constituency.
• Kamareddy Assembly constituency was formed in 1952, and until 1983 it was a stronghold of the Congress. Since 1983, after the formation of the TDP, the Congress has won only twice in this constituency (1989 & 2004) by its leader Shabir Ali.
• Kamareddy, once a stronghold of TDP, has now became a stronghold of the BRS.
• The BJP contested this Assembly in 2004 with the alliance of the TDP and garnered 20 per cent of votes

MLA profile:

Personal background: Gampa Govardhan was born into a trading family of Baswapur village, Bhiknoor mandal, Kamareddy district. He belongs to the Puragiri Kshatriya community. He entered politics at a young age with inspiration from NTR.

Political background: Gampa Govardhan started his political career with the TDP in 1989. He entered into the election fray for the first time in 1994. He later contested again in the 2004 Assembly elections from Yellareddy. In 2009 Assembly elections, he contested again on a TDP ticket from Kamaredy and won against the then-Minister and sitting MLA Shabir Ali. He resigned in 2011 from the TDP and MLA position and joined the BRS as part of Telangana agitation. In 2012 by-election, he got re-elected again on a BRS ticket. In 2014 Assembly elections and in 2018 Assembly elections, he successfully got re-elected from Kamareddy on a TRS ticket. He was appointed as Government whip

Financial strength: Very Strong

Remarks:

Growing resentment among the cadre because of his inaccessibility

Maintenance of a coterie

Cultural / Historical / Religious Identifiers

Domakonda Fort

2014 Assembly analysis:

• Victory of the BRS in 2014 could be attributed to Gampa Govardhan, alongside Telangana sentiment. The BC community, which used to be solidly behind the TDP, shifted its loyalties to the BRS in 2012.

• The Congress has retained its core vote bank, which consists of the SC, ST, and upper caste groups.

• The BJP and the TDP alliance polled 15,200 votes. The BJP votes are mostly from Kamareddy town.

2018 Assembly analysis:

• In the 2018 Assembly elections, there was a tight race between the BRS and the Congress. The BRS-sitting MLA won with a thin margin of 4,557.

• However, a large BC core voter group remained with the BRS other than youth.

• The anti-incumbent vote was split between the BJP and Congress. This gave a slight edge to the BRS and the candidate.

• The Congress retained its core voter groups and gained 2 percent compared to the earlier Assembly elections.

• The BJP gained one percent compared to the previous election.

Current situation:

• With the BRS chief and Chief Minister contesting from the constituency, the political equations have changed in favour of the BRS
• KCR already addressed a public meeting attracting huge crowds.
• KCR promised an IT and industries hub for Kamareddy.
• KCR’s candidature cut down the anti-incumbency towards the BRS and State Government
• Revanth Reddy is a formidable opponent, but might fall short of the impact of KCR
• BJP candidate has made inroads through his social service

Key local issues:

1. Door-to-door connection of drinking water

2. Migration problem

3. Human trafficking