With TDP backing out, Andhra settlers’ votes key to victory in Sherilingampally

Parliament: Chevella

District: Rangareddy

MLA: Arekapudi Gandhi (Kamma)

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 6,62,497

Booths: 622

Urban Voters: 99%

Rural Voters: 1%

Male: 51.6 %

Female: 48.3 %

Caste & Religious Demography:

Gen + BC: 90 %

SC: 7 %

ST: 2%

Hindu: 80%

Muslim: 14%

Others : 6%

Candidates Profile

Arekapudi Gandhi (BRS)

Arekapudi Gandhi’s family hails from Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh. His parents were part of the TDP since its foundation. Gandhi moved to Hyderabad 40 years ago for business reasons. Gandhi also started his political career with the TDP. In 2009, he was unsuccessful in getting an Assembly ticket from Sherilingampally, although he worked in this constituency. He supported the party candidate Mova Sathyanarayana. In 2014, he finally got an opportunity to contest from the TDP and won the seat by a margin of 80,000 votes. In 2016, Gandhi along with other MLAs of the TDP joined the TRS (now BRS). He was re-elected again from the Assembly on a TRS ticket where he won by a margin of 27,000 votes.

Profession: He heavily invested in pharma, electrical components manufacturing and real estate business.

V Jagadeeshwar Goud (Congress)

Till early October 2023, Jagadeeshwar Goud was with the BRS. He was the party’s GHMC floor leader and has previously been a three-time corporator. He joined the Congress last month and was given a ticket to contest from Sherilingampally. Goud was previously in the Congress, too having won as a corporator in 2009 from Hafeezpet. In 2016 and 2021, he contested on a BRS ticket and won from Madhapur.

Ravi Kumar Yadav (BJP)

Ravi Kumar Yadav was born on May 17, 1981 in Hyderabad. His father Maraboina Bikshapati Yadav was a former MLA from Sherilingampally in 2009. Ravi has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology and Sciences in Bengaluru and a Master’s in Marketing from the University of East London.

Entering politics in 2006 as a member of the Congress youth wing, Ravi Kumar Yadav assumed the role of Greater Hyderabad Youth Congress President and later as the Youth Congress State general secretary of Telangana. He shifted to the BJP in 2020 and has been trying to woo the BPL families to vote for him.

Constituency information

Geography

-Sherilingampally Assembly segment was formed in 2008

-The constituency consists of Sherilingampally, Chandanagar, Balanagar (part) mandal (M), Kukatpally (M) (Part), Kukatpally (M) - Ward No. 1 to 4. Miyapur, Gachibowli, Madhapur, Vivekananda Nagar Colony, BHEL Township, Allwyn Colony, Kondapur and Hafeezpet.

Background:

-The Assembly is an urban constituency and part of the GHMC. This Assembly has seen rapid development in terms of infrastructure and industries in the last two decades.

-Most of the voters in this constituency are settlers from Andhra Pradesh region, particularly from Krishna and Godavari districts

-The native BC communities such as Gouds and Yadavs are dominant this constituency

-This constituency was won by the Congress for the first time in 2009 by a narrow margin of 1,100 votes over the TDP.

-Most of the land and other industrial resources were won by the Kamma community which is politically influential in this constituency

2014 Election Analysis

• In 2014, the TDP won this constituency with a majority of 80,000 votes with the help of Andhra settlers who are the majority population in this region.
• The TRS got votes from majority of native Telangana electors
• The Congress was able to secure its core vote bank of minorities, Yadav, SC, Reddy and other upper caste votes

2018 Election Analysis

• The sitting MLA defected to the TRS and was re-elected again with 42,000 votes majority
• He split the Kamma community votes and got the support of BC communities leaning towards the TRS and won the election.
• The TDP contested in alliance with the Congress from this segment and secured 99,000 votes. The core voters of the Congress and settlers from Andhra voted for Anand Prasad of the TDP.
• The BJP also secured 22,000 votes who were mostly settlers from other states

Current Situation

• The constituency is unpredictable, votes as per swings across the city.
• Miyapur, Madhapur, Chandanagar and Kukatpally are areas where the TDP is strong. But since the party is not contesting, their votes become crucial for victory.
• Serilingampalli, Hafizpet and Aliwyn Colony are areas where the Congress is strong
• In some pockets where slums are present, Left parties have influence
• Among BC communities, the BRS is stronger

Key Local Issues:

• Lack of public transport
• Poor drainage
• Traffic congestion