Malkajgiri, which has the distinction of being country’s biggest lok Sabha constituency with nearly 31 lakh voters, is witnessing a no-hold-barred and interesting multi-cornered fight.
The urban constituency abutting Hyderabad has earned the soubriquet of “Seemandhra in Telangana” as more than 40 per cent voters are settlers or the people from Seemandhra origin, making it the most sought after among the “Andhra parties”. This vote bank, many candidates hope, will be the deciding factor.
Apart from Union Minister Sarve Satyanarayana seeking re-election on Congress ticket, one former IAS officer, a former Director General of Police, grandson of a former Prime Minister and two educationists are in the fray.
While Sarve Satyanarayana, who won the seat in the last two elections, was confident of repeating win, Telugu Desam Party candidate, backed by the BJP C Malla Reddy has emerged as strong contender. He owns several professional educational institutions and has no lack of resources. The third important candidate is lok Satta president Jayaprakash Narayan, a former IAS officer-turned-activist-turned politician. He had won Kukatpally Assembly seat in 2009 and was trying this time his luck in the lok Sabha elections.
The YSR Congress Party has fielded former Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy, during whose tenure Jaganmohan Reddy was arrested and spent 16 months in Hyderabad jail on charges of corruption.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has fielded M Hanumantha Rao, the former TDP MlA who quit the party in protest against his Assembly seat going to the BJP under the seat-sharing agreement.
The Aam Admi Party had also fielded an activist Chandana Chakrabarti. But unable to face the heat and the dust of campaigning she retired from the contest and party replaced her with Sudhakiran Rao, grandson of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. Another educationist-activist and member of legislative Council K Nageshwar is contesting as an Independent. Adding to the crowd is the MIM candidate Diwakar Dharani Kota, a businessman.
Unlike other constituencies in the State where the caste card rules the roost, here all the parties are using the regional card. Especially the TDP, YSRCP and lok Satta were banking heavily on the “settler” votes. Faced with an uncertain future in Telangana State, and apprehensive of the TRS rule, Seemandhra people are likely to opt for an Andhra candidate who has the bigger chance of defeating the TRS.
The TDP has scored over others by enlisting the support of film star Pawan Kalyan. He had initially thrown his weight behind lok Satta’s JP but after firming up the alliance between the TDP and BJP he came under pressure to canvas for the TDP though his heart lies with JP.
Significantly TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu also chose this constituency to launch his campaign. “Only TDP can ensure the development. Vote TDP if you want to have the glorious days of Hyderabad back,” he said reminding the people of the progress when he was the CM.
Interestingly irrespective of who wins between the TDP and lok Satta, Narendra Modi can rest assure of one more seat as JP has also declared his support to the BJP’s PM candidate.
Another peculiar feature of this urban constituency is that 80 per cent of the voters are from educated middle class making the job even tough for the candidates.
As far as other issues are concerned, people are more concerned about development, specially the better civic infrastructure, drinking water, roads, sanitation and railway overbridges as railway lines crisscross the constituency.
Sarve Satyanarayana, who defeated TDP’s candidate by a margin of more than 93,000 votes in 2009 was banking on what he called his good work. “I am always with my people taking care of their needs and solving their problems. Nothing can break this relationship,” he said.