Suave Vivek pitted against street smart Balka Suman in Chennur, anti-incumbency might trouble BRS

Assembly Constituency: Chennur (SC)

District: Mancherial

MLA: Balka Suman

Reservation: SC

Total Voters: 1,77,628

Booths: 227

Urban Voters: 46%

Rural Voters: 54%

Male: 51%

Female: 49%

Caste & Religious Demography:

• Gen + OBC: 63.7%

• SC: 30.3%

• ST: 6.1%

• Hindu: 94.2%

• Muslim: 4.2%

• Others : 1.6%

Candidates:

Balka Suman (BRS)

Balka Suman was born on October 18, 1983, to Suresh and Muthamma in Regunta village of Jagtial district. His father was Metpally agricultural market yard chairman. He completed his initial schooling at Metpally, and then studied in social welfare school in Rukmapur. After completing BA in Korutla, he joined his MA in literature in Osmania and enrolled for PhD in English. He is married to a journalist Rani Alekya. He has two sons. As a student leader, he played an important role in the TRS (now BRS) since its inception.

Dr G Vivek Venkatswamy (Congress)

Dr. Vivek is the youngest son of the veteran politician and Congress leader G. Venkat Swamy and Kalavathi. He did his schooling at Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, and did his M.B.B.S from Osmania Medical College. He belongs to the Mala Community. Vivek was born on November 30, 1957. He is married to Saroja and they are blessed with four children. He is a business person, but showed interest in politics and joined the Congress. He was a former Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha. He represented the Peddapali Parliamentary Constituency. In 2019, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, he quit the BJP and returned to the Congress recently and was nominated for the Chennur seat.

Durgam Ashok (BJP)

Durgam Ashok is trying his luck for the first time in Chennur which was dominated by the Congress, the TDP, and the BRS. He is trying to impress upon the voters to elect him for real development in the constituency. The vote share of the BJP in the 2018 elections was a mere 1.49 percent.

Assembly constituency information:

Geography: The Assembly constituency consists of Chennur (Municipality), Kotapalle, Bheemaram, Jaipur, and Mandamarri.

Background: Currently it is a SC reserved Constituency. Before 2004 it was a general constituency. From 1984 the TDP won the constituency four times and the BRS won four times. The constituency is politically and electorally dominated by SC communities. BRS leader Nalla Odelu won the 2009, 2010 (by-election) and 2014 elections from this constituency.

MLA Profile:

Political Background: In 2001, Suman actively participated in the Telangana agitation. Later in 2007, he served as Osmania University student campaign president for the BRS. In 2009, he transformed into a student leader in Telangana agitation. In 2010, he became the student wing president of the BRS. In 2014, he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from the BRS

Profession: Business

Financial Strength: Very strong.

Remarks: Not accessible to people.

Cultural / Historical / Religious Identifiers:

Chennur is called as panchkrosha uttara wahini as Godavari travels 15 km toward north

2014 Assembly analysis:

• Then MLA Nallala Odelu is very influential in the constituency. Odelu contested from Chennur Assembly on BRS ticket in 2009, by-polls of 2010, and again in 2014.

• He served as Government whip, after he became MLA in 2014. In 2010, he tendered his resignation to the MLA post and won again in a by-election. Odelu was denied the BRS ticket in the 2018 elections.

• Odelu has participated actively in Telangana agitation. Maala, Kapu and Mudhiraj communities are aligned with BRS because of him.

• Congress party leader Gaddam Vinod was able to split Maadiga votes and was able to get traditional Congress votes of Muslims and Reddies.

• Padmashaali votes were split between the BRS and the Congress

• The BJP with alliance of the TDP secured 7,879 votes.

2018 Assembly analysis

• Odelu faced anti-incumbency, as people were highly disappointed with his style of working and his inability to develop the constituency. The BRS gave ticket to Balka Suman.
• Balka Suman was able to Consolidate OBC Votes. Congress candidate Venkatesh Netha has Consolidated weaver votes and also garnered traditional Congress votes of Reddies.
• After the election, KCR has given ZPP Chairperson to Odelu’s wife.

Current situation:

• Currently, the BRS Government and MLA are facing huge anti-incumbency from the public
• Silence on separate revenue division and delay in the construction of Singareni employees' residential complex might have an impact on the outcome
• BJP Chennur in-charge Srinivas is also actively engaged at the ground level activities.

Key Local Issues:

1. Pending lift irrigation projects

2. Expansion of roads in town

3. Infrastructure

4. Employment in Singareni collieries