LB Nagar: BRS strongman takes on BJP’s dark horse, Congress’s surprise pick

District: Rangareddy

MLA: Sudheer Reddy (Reddy)

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 5,46,714

Booths: 570

Urban Voters: 100%

Rural Voters: 0

Male: 53%

Female: 47%

Caste & Religious Demography:

Gen + BC: 88%

SC: 9%

ST: 2 %

Hindu: 87%

Muslim: 7%

Others :6 %

Candidates Profile

Devireddy Sudheer Reddy (BRS):

Sudheer Reddy was born to D Jayachandra Reddy and D Chandrakala on July 27, 1962. His father was a Government employee. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Osmania University. He was elected as an MLA from LB Nagar on a Congress ticket first in 2009 and then again in 2018. Sudheer, however, defected to the ruling BRS in 2019 during a mass exodus from the Congress. In 2020, he was appointed as the chairman of Musi River Development Front Corporation Limited by the State Government for a period of three years.

Madhu Goud Yaskhi (Congress):

Madhu Yaskhi was born on December 15, 1960 to Kistaiah Goud and Sulochana. Madhu Yaskhi was a New York City attorney. In 2004, Madhu Yaskhi was elected as a Member of Parliament from Nizamabad. In 2009, he was re-elected from the same constituency, and in 2014 was defeated by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha.

Sama Rangareddy (BJP):

In 2009, he contested on a Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) ticket and lost from LB Nagar. He then shifted base to the TDP in the same year. After not finding feet in the party, he joined the BJP in 2019 and was appointed as the BJP Rangareddy district president. He is contesting on a BJP ticket now.

Constituency information:

Geography and features: The constituency was formed after the delimitation exercise in 2009. It was earlier part of the Malakpet constituency. It has a good number of settlers from Andhra Pradesh with the Reddy, Goud, Yadav and Brahmin communities having a lot of influence.

2014 election analysis

• In the 2014 Assembly Election, TDP won with a victory margin of 12,525 votes.
• TDP declared R Krishnaiah as their Chief Ministerial candidate, with the backing from Kuruma, Goud, and Yadav communities.
• R Krishnaiah, a prominent BC leader, successfully consolidated support from the entire BC community.
• He has a history of leadership, dating back to his college days, where he spearheaded numerous student union rallies.
• Krishnaiah's popularity was evident in his ability to organise over 10,000 rallies, showcasing his strong connection with the masses.
• Sama Ranga Reddy and his influential family played a pivotal role in supporting Krishnaiah.
• In a noteworthy political move, Ram Mohan Goud, the chairman of the 2014 Kothapet fruit market and a Congress member, switched to the TRS just before the elections.
• Satyanarayana, a key TRS leader and party in-charge of L B Nagar, was denied a ticket due to his Vaishya community background, leading to dissatisfaction among his followers, resulting in a reduced vote share for the TRS.
• Devireddy Sudheer Reddy's lack of active involvement in the Telangana movement and failure to protest left the locals discontented, contributing to a growing sense of anti-incumbency.

2018 election analysis

• R Krishniah left the TDP and contested as a Congress candidate in Miryalaguda constituency, facing defeat amidst the KCR wave.
• Subsequently, Krishnaiah aligned with the YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh, encountering accusations of minimal on-ground activity, visibility, and association with local gangster Nayeem.
• His loss was attributed to pending works, a growing liquor mafia, and the perception that meeting Krishnaiah required a visit to the Dharna Chowk.
• D R Sudheer Reddy's victory was shaped by Mahakutami and Revant Reddy's guidance, with his active leadership dating back to the 1980s.
• Sudheer Reddy, admired for addressing basti people's issues even when out of power, joined the TRS in 2019, citing internal politics and Uttam Kumar Reddy's hindrance to his growth in the Congress.
• In the 2018 election, Sudheer Reddy faced significant struggles despite selfless party work.
• Sudheer Reddy garnered support from the Congress sympathizers, the Reddy community, and BC votes (excluding Goud), while Ishvaramma Yadav, a Yadav leader, openly endorsed him, securing Yadav community votes for the Congress.
• The TRS obtained votes from Goud, Muslim, Kuruma, and welfare scheme beneficiaries, while Ram Mohan's son's controversy before the election damaged the family's image and cost them votes.
• The TDP's poor administration in Telangana before the 2018 elections, sacrificing a potential winning seat to the Congress despite having strong chances, was evident in Sama Ranga Reddy being asked to contest from Ibrahimpatnam just 15 days before the election.

Current Scenario

• After the Congress MLA D R Sudheer Reddy joined the BRS, a major issue from 2016-2020 was corruption by the GHMC TRS corporators but they voted for Sudheer Reddy as he actively pointed out those issues.
• However, people are happy with a large number of flyovers and underpasses that have been built bolstering road infrastructure in recent years.
• BJP-RSS is extremely strong in the area.

Key Local Issues

• The shrinking open lands of Saroornagar has resulted in the flooding of residential areas such as Kondanda Colony, Sisala Basti, and Ramashapa.
• There are significant issues concerning land titles (pattas) and drainage in the affected areas.
• Issues related to ceiling lands and notary lands persist, causing difficulties for locals in their transactions.
• Residents are struggling to secure necessary amenities, with many basti residents awaiting 2BHK houses and facing threats from GHMC officials.