Telangana Assembly elections: Battle on cards between contrasting characters in Sangareddy

Senior BRS leader Chintha Prabhakar is seeing a lot going in favour of him, courtesy a constantly growing public sentiment against Jagga Reddy

Sangareddy: Senior BRS leader Chintha Prabhakar had lost the 2018 Assembly election by barely 3,000 votes to T Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy of the Congress. This time around, as the constituency gets ready for the showdown later this year, Prabhakar is seeing a lot going in favour of him, courtesy a constantly growing public sentiment against Jagga Reddy.

The Congress leader, it is alleged, has remained mostly inaccessible to even his followers, even over phone, after the elections. His once in a while visits to the constituency, with the MLA remaining put in a hotel room in Hyderabad, mostly seen on television channels criticising rival party leaders and countering rivals within the party, has only helped the sentiment grow.

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Though the State government had built an ultramodern camp office for MLAs in Sangareddy headquarters, he is rarely seen there, party workers say. His promise to ensure house site pattas to 40,000 poor families of Sangareddy constituency ahead of the 2018 elections still remains unfulfilled, with Chintha Prabhakar & Co. now planning to use Jagga Reddy’s failed promises and lack of access as the main weapons against him as the campaign begins.

Recently, Finance Minister T Harish Rao exposed Jagga Reddy when he sought the response from the public during a meeting in Sangareddy on how many of them knew the address of their MLA? There was no response. On asking about the MLA’s phone number, the answer was the same. None knew it.

On the other hand, Chintha Prabhakar, who was in the meanwhile appointed as TS Handloom Corporation chairman, has made sure that he is seen in the constituency round the clock and accessible to the public. He has also been active in addressing grievances and handling applications related to pensions, ration cards, assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Kalyana Lakshmi and other schemes etc. Citizens are also seen approaching him seeking seats in educational institutes and jobs in local private firms.

With his popularity growing in the constituency, especially in crucial areas like Sadasivapet Municipality, Sangareddy Municipality, Kandi and Kondapur mandals, the contest between the two this time around will be an interesting one, especially with Jagga Reddy yet to be seen campaigning or making any effort to curb the growing public sentiment against him.