Will BRS candidate Rajender Reddy's unfulfiilled vows dent his prospects?

Assembly constituency: Narayanpet

District: Narayanpet

MLA: S Rajender Reddy (Reddy)

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 2,19,795

Booths: 270

Urban Voters: 15%

Rural Voters: 85 %

Male:

Female:

Caste & Religious Demography

Gen + BC: 75%

SC: 15%

ST: 10 %

Hindu: 91 %

Muslim: 8%

Others : 1 %

Candidates

MLA profile

S Rajender Reddy (BRS)

Personal Background

S Rajender Reddy was born on June 5, 1964 in Seri Venkatapur village in an agricultural family. He earned his post graduation in M. Pharmacy from AME's V. L College of Pharmacy Raichur of Karnataka in 1996. He owns medical colleges and hospitals in Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Mahabubnagar.

Political background

S Rajender Reddy's political career began with the TDP. He served as an MLA of the TRS (now BRS) in the Narayanpet constituency from 2014 to 2018.

Rajender served as a Member of the Committee on Library in Telangana Legislative Assembly. He was later appointed to the Telangana Legislative Assembly'sHhouse committee on Wakf lands.

Parnika Chittem Reddy (Congress)

The Congress has fielded Chittem Parnika Reddy, the daughter of Chittem Venkateswar Reddy, who died in a Naxal attack along with his father Chittem Narsi Reddy in 2005. Narsi Reddy, a Congress legislator, was elected from Makthal constituency on behalf of the Janata party in 1984 and again on the Janata Dal ticket in 1989. Parnika Chittem Reddy is the daughter-in-law of former minister DK Aruna.

K Rathang Pandu Reddy (BJP)

K Rathang Pandu Reddy, the BJP candidate from Narayanpet assembly constituency, completed his intermediate at Mahabubnagar's Government Junior College. He contested for the BJP in the Telangana Assembly elections in 2018, but was defeated by the TRS candidate S Rajender Reddy and secured third position. He believes that the TRS's failed promises in Narayanapet will be a winning strategy for the BJP in the Telangana Assembly elections in 2023.

Constituency details

Geography

The Assembly constituency comprises Narayanapet, Marikal, Koilkonda, Dhanwada, and Damargidda mandals, bordering Karnataka, and comprises 239 villages.

Background

The Assembly constituency was established in 2009, with most villages in Makthal constituency, the entire Dhanwada mandal in Amarchinta constituency, and some villages were part of Mahabubnagar.

The Assembly, previously dominated by the TDP, saw Y. Yella Reddy won in 2009 and S. Rajender Reddy in 2014 on behalf of the TDP. Narayanpet is renowned for its agriculture, particularly peanut, red gram, and mung bean, which is also used for the production of handloom sarees.

Temple tourism and gold jewellery make significant economic activities in the region, with women contributing significantly to Beedi manufacturing labor.

Cultural/ Historical

The Vinayaka temple, an 800-year-old structure, is a renowned landmark in Narayanapet, along with the Lokapally Laxmamma temple, also a significant attraction in the area. Narayanpet is home to the renowned Shaneswara Temple.

2014 Assembly constituency analysis

In 2014, the main competition was between TDP candidate S. Rajender Reddy and TRS candidate Shivakumar Reddy, with Rathan Pandu Reddy who contested independently.

Key demographics

Mudhiraj Kuruma, Padmashali, and other BCs communities were majority voters, and BCs had traditionally supported the TDP, which contributed to the TDP's victory in 2014. S. Rajender Reddy, a newcomer to politics, contested for the TDP in Assembly elections 2014. Voters were influenced by public optimism and expectations for development with a new face.

The Narayanapet constituency welcomed a new candidate, which contributed to the TDP's success. The TDP won the 2014 elections thanks to new candidate and alliance support.

2018 Assembly elections analysis

During the 2018 election campaign, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao addressed a public meeting in Narayanapet. He announced the fulfilment of a long-standing public demand for the establishment of a new district in Narayanapet.

He emphasised the TRS Government welfare programmes and local MLA development efforts. KCR also promised development of a Government junior college, a new shopping complex, and a Rythu bazar in Narayanapet which led to the victory of the TRS candidate.

S. Rajender Reddy of the TRS defeated K. Shivakumar Reddy of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) by a margin of 15,187 votes in 2018 elections.

Current situation

Sitting MLA S Rajender Reddy is currently facing anti-incumbency due to his failed promises such as double bedrooms, three acres of land for Dalits, and drinking water.

MLA also failed to bring the railway line from Vikarabad, a road expansion in Narayanapet town. The local students are also outraged by the lack of a PG in Narayanpet.

Key local issues

• Underground drains
• Expansion of internal roads
• Dumping yard at RTC bus stand in rural areas
  
• Many villages don't have hospitals and not even primary schools.
• Skilled agriculture labor is migrating to cities for work.
  
• Pending PG college and new buildings for government residential hostels.
• New bus stand for Narayanapet
• Expansion roads towards Civil courts.
• Pending textile park promised by BRS president KCR in public meetings to reduce youth and other sections of unemployment