Tug of war between BRS's Chirumarthi Lingaiah, Congress's Vemula Veeeresham in Nakrekal

Assembly Constituency- Nakrekal

District: Nalgonda

MLA: Chirumarthi Lingaiah (BRS)

Reservation: SC

Total Voters: 2,37,813

Booths: 305

Urban Voters: 18%

Rural Voters: 82%

Male: 50.28%

Female: 49.72%

Caste & Religious Demography

• Gen + BC: 77.40%
• SC: 21.40%
• ST: 1.20%
• Hindu: 95%

Candidates

Chirumarthi Lingaiah (BRS)

Lingaiah was born in 1975 in Brahmana Vellemala village of Narketpally mandal in Nalgonda district. He pursued class X from ZPHS, Brahmana Vellamla, in 1990. In 1995, he was elected as an MPTC member. From 200 to 2006, he served as ZPTC member, Nalgonda.

He began his political career with the Congress. In the 2009 Assembly elections, he won as an MLA for the first time in Nakrekal constituency from the Congress. In the 2014 Assembly elections, he was defeated by Vemula Veeresham of the TRS (now BRS). In the 2018 Assembly elections, he was elected as an MLA for the second consecutive term from the constituency by defeating TRS candidate Vemula Veeresham.

In November 2019, Lingaiah shifted his loyalties to the TRS. In the 2023 Assembly elections, he is going to contest as an MLA for the third time over Vemula Veeresham who shifted his loyalties to the Congress from the BRS.

Vemula Veeresham (Congress)

Veeresham was born in 1982 to Kondaiah and Mallamma in Utukur village of Shaligouraram mandal, Nalgonda district. He pursued his graduation in Nakrekal. Since his school education, he actively participated in Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU). He is married to Pushpa Latha and has two children.

He began his political career with the TRS. Veeresham won as an MLA for the first time from Nakrekal in the 2014 Telangana Assembly elections by defeating sitting MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah. Several development activities were initiated by Veeresham with the support of Telangana Minister for Energy G Jagadish Reddy. He again contested as an MLA on behalf of the TRS in the 2018 Assembly elections. He was defeated by Congress candidate Chirumarthi Lingaiah.

In September 2023, Veeresham shifted his loyalties to the Congress from the BRS, after party president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) renominated Lingaiah as the candidate for the Nakrekal Assembly constituency.

Nakirekanti Mogilaiah (BJP)

Mogilaiah is an advocate and native of Ramannapet mandal in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district. He was a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) ,while he was a student. He served as a sarpanch in Ramannapet. In 2009, due to delimitation, Ramannapet was included in Nakrekal Assembly constituency. In the 2009 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA on behalf of the BJP and was defeated by Congress candidate Chirumarthi Lingaiah. In the 2004 Assembly elections, the BJP leadership had given the seat to Kasarla Lingaiah over him and suggested Mogilaiah to campaign for his victory. In the 2023 Assembly elections, Mogilaih is contesting as an MLA for the second time on behalf of the BJP and is going to take on BRS candidate Chirumarthi Lingaiah and Congress candidate Vemula Veeresham.

Assembly constituency information

Background

• Nakrekal Assembly constituency was formed in 1957. So far, 14 times elections have been held in this constituency.
• The CPM won eight times, the INC thrice, the PDF, the CPI and the TRS won once in the constituency.
• CPI leader Narra RaghavaReddy won six times from Nakrekal. The Communists were very strong till 2009.
• The Communist roots were there in Nakrekal since the beginning of Telangana movement.
• Naxalites are also very strong in the Nakerekal area.
• Many peasant groups were attracted towards the Communist party.
• Nakrekal, Chityla, Kattanguru, Kethepally, Narketpally and Ramannapet Mandals are in this Assembly constituency

Geography:

• Chityala and Narketpally are part of Nalgonda Assembly constituency. Some villages in Shaligouraram mandal were merged in Thungathurthy Assembly constituency.
• After merging two mandals -- Chityla and Narketpally - in Nakrekal this has become an SC reserved constituency.
• The TRS is very strong in the six mandals. The TRS won four ZPTCs. Those are Kattangur, Nakerekal,Narketpally and Chityala.
• SCs and Reddies support the Congress, while Madhigas, Yadavs and Gouds are inclining towards the TRS.

Economy

Agriculture is the main source of livelihood. After agriculture, many pharma industries are providing employment to local people. Mosambi is the main crop in this Assembly constituency. In South Asia, highest Mosambi production is from Nalgonda district.

Cultural/Historical/Religious Identifiers

• Cheruvugattu Anjaneya Swamy
• RudramaDevi tomb in Chandupatla village
• Gudrampally fort (people revolted against Nizam army from this fort)

2014 Assembly election Analysis:

• Incumbent Congress MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah faced an anti-incumbency in this Assembly constituency as irrigation projects like Pillaipalli Kaluva, Dharmareddy Kaluva started by the Congress were not completed.
• Lingaiah did not participate actively in the Telangana movement.
• TRS candidate Vemula Veeresham had personal relations with the CPM cadre.
• The CPM cadre voted for Veeresham and he gave promises for completion of irrigation projects in the Assembly constituency.
• Veeresham also promised to construct a Government Degree college in Nakrekal and Telangana movement wave helped the TRS to win in this constituency.
• BCs Yadavs, Gouds, Mudhiraj supported the TRS in 2014.
• Veeresham’s wife Vemula Pushpa was very active in the Telangana movement as a singer, she conducted many 'dhoom dham' meetings across Nakrekal constituency. In the election campaigns she also attracted many rural people by her songs.

2018 Assembly elections Analysis:

• TRS MLA Vemula Veeresham faced anti-incumbency as his promises remained unfulfilled and his close aide was linked with sand mafia and land grabbing led to the loss of the TRS.
• Congress leader and Nalgonda municipal chairperson Boddupalli Laxmi alleged that Vemula Veeresham was involved in her husband’s (Boddupally Srinu) assassination. This was also one of the reasons BCs became against him. The Kummari community also denied voting for him.
• Renowned singer Epuri Somanna prisoned by Vemula Pushpa, which was also one of the reasons for his defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections. The MLA's family and his followers were allegedly involved in the sand mafia.
• After the Communists, the Congress gained a stronghold in Nakrekal.
• Nakrekal, Chityala, Shaligouraram mandals supported the Congress
• The Komati Reddy brothers had a good reputation and followers in Nakrekal.
• Lingaiah got support from the CPI and the TDP cadre as they had an alliance which benefited the Congress.

Current Situation

• At present the BRS’s (TRS) second-rung cadres are facing allegations from opposition parties that they are demanding money from Pharma companies.
• Veliminedu village TRS sarpanch Deshaboina Mallamma attempted suicide because of the harrasment from sitting MLA.
• The TRS cadre are also divided into two groups and fought in each mandal.
• The Congress is facing a leadership crisis and is divided as two groups one headed by PCC president A Revanth Reddy and another by MP Komati Reddy supporters.
• The BJP is also facing a leadership crisis. It has to develop cadres from mandal level to focus on local issues.

Key Local Issues

• Renovation of Irrigation canals
• Scarcity of godowns and cold storages
• Roads and connectivity
• Pollution
• Railway connectivity to Nakrekal
• Nakrekal to Thiparthi Highway road