Congress, YSRCP, TDP, MIM, BJP and LS Seek Dominance
The 24 Assembly seats in the Greater Hyderabad limits are witnessing a hectic political activity in view of ensuing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to be held simultaneously on April 30.
Unlike the political scenario in others parts of Telangana and Seemandhra regions, Hyderabad or GHMC area is acting like an open field for all political parties. The Congress, TDP, YSRCP, MIM, BJP and Lok Satta have launched their campaigns to establish their political supremacy in an area which would serve as the joint capital of two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
While the Congress wants to secure its supremacy in most of the seats in Secunderabad, the MIM is working hard to maintain its dominance in Hyderabad, especially on the six seats that it won in 2009 elections. The MIM’s plan to expand to other areas like Jubilee Hills, Khairtabad, Musheerabad and Amberpet has forced the Congress and BJP to draw new strategies in view of changing political equations.
The YSR Congress Party is emerging as the strong force in all the Assembly segments of Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. With minorities constituting nearly 50 per cent of the total electorates, the YSRCP has entrusted the task of campaign to Amer Ali Khan, the News Editor of Siasat Urdu Daily, who joined the party in January this year. Known as a strategist among his circles, Amer Ali Khan’s campaign methodologies have already started sending shivers among the rivals. He is taking full advantage of his proximity with the representatives of several NGOs and other groups associated with welfare activities. His services for the promotion of Urdu language are helping him now in strengthening the party’s base in a majority of areas in Secunderabad constituency.
Another factor which is helping the YSRCP is the presence of a large number of people from Seemandhra region. According to rough estimates, over three lakh voters in Secunderabad constituency hail from Seemandhra region. Since both the Congress and BJP were responsible for the division of Andhra Pradesh, they are most likely to support the YSRCP in Secunderabad seat. The YSRCP’s victory in Secunderabad will not only give a moral boost to them, but will help them in properly raising the security concerns in the joint capital of Hyderabad for the next 10 years.
The strong presence of Christian voters too has increased the YSRCP’s hopes of winning the Secunderabad seat. Being the second largest minority after Muslims, the Christians have been seeking special sops from the government. They are also concerned about the recent attacks on Pastors and Churches in Telangana region. An activist of Hindu Vahini, who was detained by the Nalgonda Police for alleged attack on a church, reportedly confessed that such attacks were being allegedly carried by mercenaries for a price that ranges from Rs 12 lakh for attacking a Pastor to Rs 6 lakh for desecrating a church. These shocking revelations have increased the security concerns of Christians who want strong political interception to such attacks in future.
The YSRCP’s campaign is also focused on common issues like heavy traffic challans by the cops, road safety, pollution, public transport and other matters that concerns urban voters.
Meanwhile, the BJP is trying hard to strike an alliance with the TDP or Lok Satta. The BJP is planning to deploy all its energies on 12 Assembly seats and the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat. Interestingly, instead of Telangana, the BJP is flashing the “Modi card” arguing that youth and tech-savvy voters will want to vote for the BJP. The BJP is expecting to perform well in Amberpet, Musheerabad, Khairatabad, Sanathnagar, Goshamahal, Malakpet, Karwan, Yakutpura, Uppal, LB Nagar, Qutbullapur and Malkajgiri Assembly seats.
The TDP is hoping to revive the position that it once enjoyed after 1999 elections. Besides winning the Secunderabad Assembly seat, the TDP is hoping to win some seats on the city’s outskirts.
The Lok Satta has already announced its first list of candidates and Dr Jayaprakash Narayan is hoping to retain the Kukatpally seat in next elections.
The strengthening of YSRCP in the city and emergence of other political parties appears to have scared the ruling Congress party with most of the legislators planning to shift to other constituencies. Most prominent among them is former minister Danam Nagender, who is searching for a safe seat fearing defeat in Khairtabad, which houses over lakh voters hailing from Seemandhra region. Source: Wah Hyderabad