Veteran Pocharam Srinivas Reddy pitted against former colleague Ravinder Reddy in Banswada, giant killer Endala of BJP struggling

Assembly Constituency:Banswada

District: Kamareddy

MLA: Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Parige) (Reddy)

Total Voters: 1,87,469

Booths: 258

Urban Voters: 11%

Rural Voters: 89%

Male: 49%

Female: 51%

Caste & Religious Demography:

• Gen + OBC: 75.4%

• SC: 13.4%

• ST: 11.1%

• Hindu: 81.3%

• Muslim: 17.7%

• Others: 1%

Candidates :

Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (BRS)

He was born on October 2, 1949, to Raja Reddy Parige in Banswada. He completed ninth standard to Intermediate from multipurpose high school Nizamabad from 1962 to 1966 and completed B.E from Nagarjuna Engineering College, Hyderabad, from 1966 to 1969. He was married to Pushpa and has four children. He started his political journey with the Congress in 1976. He served as the president of the village co-operative society, Desaipeta in 1977. In 1980, he contested as president of the Banswada samiti, but he failed. He then joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He worked as a Minister twice in the TDP Government.

Enugu Ravinder Reddy (Congress)

Enugu Ravinder Reddy was born on April 5, 1965, to Raji Reddy in Yerrapahad village, Tadwai mandal, Nizamabad District. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Yellareddy Constituency, Nizamabad district from the TRS (now BRS) . He completed his Intermediate in 1984 at Narsapur, Medak district, and completed his B.Sc from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

From 2004-2008, he served as an MLA of the 12th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Yellareddy Constituency. From 2009-2010, he was MLA of the same constituency, for the TRS party, but he resigned from his MLA post favouring separate Telangana.

In the 2010 by-elections, he was again elected as MLA of the Yellareddy constituency. From 2014-2018, he served as an MLA of the 1st Telangana Legislative Assembly of Yellareddy Constituency. He quit the BRS and joined the Congress. Kasula Balraj who anticipated Congress nomination, even tried to commit suicide after Ravinder Reddy was nominated by the TPCC.

Endala Laxminarayana (BJP)

Endala Laxminarayana was born on March 1, 1963, to Endala Chinnaiah. He studied up to BA. He is the current BJP state vice-president. He joined politics in 1982. Endala started his career as a youth leader. He was elected as an MLA from Nizamabad urban constituency in 2009, and resigned in 2010, to support Telangana movement. He was elected again in 2010, with a majority, defeating PCC President D. Srinivas. He was unanimously elected as the Assembly floor leader of the BJP.

Assembly constituency information:

The constituency is geographically vast and spread over Banswada municipality, Birkoor, Varni, Kotagiri, Rudrur and Nasrullabad Mandals. Banswada Assembly in earlier days was a stronghold for the Congress. After the formation of the TDP, it became one of the strongholds of the TDP. Since 1985, the TDP has lost only once in 2004. In later years, Banswada became a home seat to stalwart Pocharam Srninvasa Reddy, the current Speaker of the Telangana Assembly. In 2011, he resigned from the TDP and his MLA position. Then, he joined the TRS to support the Telangana movement and went to the by-poll on the BRS ticket, he was elected. Both in the 2014 and 2018 Assembly elections, P Srinivas Reddy won. Banswada municipality, Varni and Rudur were one of the strongholds of the BRS

MLA profile:

Political background: In 1976, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy started his political journey with the Congress party and later in 1984, he joined the Telugu Desam Party. He worked as a Minister twice in the TDP Government. In 1988, he worked as President of Nizamabad TDP. In 1989, he contested for Nizamabad Parliament, but he lost. In 1994, he contested the Banswada constituency as a TDP candidate and won as MLA with a majority of over 57,000 votes.

He was MLA from the Banswada Constituency in 1999 and again in 2009, he was re-elected from the same Assembly constituency with the TDP in alliance with the BRS. In support of the Telangana movement, he joined the TRS Party and actively participated in the Telangana movement in 2011. He also resigned from his MLA seat and TDP membership. He went on to contest that year’s by-elections and won as MLA with a margin of over 49,000 votes against Congress candidate Sangam Srinivas Goud. He was made a politburo member of the TRS in 2011. From 2014-2018, he was MLA from the Banswada Assembly constituency. He was inducted into KCR’s Cabinet in 2014 and was made Minister for Agriculture.

In 2018, he was elected as MLA from the Banswada and subsequently, he was elected as the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly.

Remarks: Accessible and engages with people and cadre

Cultural

Venkateswara Swamy temple

Mini tank bund of Kalki cheruvu

2014 Assembly analysis:

• Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, with his strong ground connection along with the Telangana movement helped the BRS and its candidate to secure this Assembly seat.

• BC, Reddy and Magida aligned with the BRS

• ST and Mala community were aligned with the Congress

• The TDP also secured 20,000 votes mostly from Padmashali community and settlers.

2018 Assembly analysis:

• The development works, welfare schemes, infrastructure development, and irrigation facilities helped Srinivas Reddy.

• Being minister and constant ground engagement have helped P Srinivas Reddy and the TRS once again to win the Banswada assembly.

Current situation:

• Pocharam Srinivas Reddy is getting old, his son Bhaskar Reddy, DCCB chairperson, is being groomed.

• The BRS still has a stronghold in this Assembly due to the influence of the Srinivas Reddy family.

• The Congress is actively engaged on the ground and doing regular programs

• The BJP lacks local leadership to lead the party at ground level.

Key local issues:

1. Infrastructure

2. Development of Sri Venkateswara temple at Timmapur

3. Demand for Manneguda as a mandal