Jaago Voter…Choose Your Leader: In a shocker to BRS, Teegala may switch over to BJP

♦    Maheshwaram Assembly constituency forms part of Chevella Lok Sabha segment

♦    Residents highlight issues like water shortage and inadequate road connectivity

Hyderabad: The Maheshwaram Assembly constituency, which was once a stronghold of the Congress party, currently has Sabitha Indra Reddy as the sitting MLA. She initially won the seat with Congress ticket in the 2018 assembly elections but later joined BRS. In the upcoming election, the Congress party is once again striving to consolidate its votes.

The constituency is part of the Chevella Lok Sabha segment and was formed in 2008, just before the 2009 general elections, as part of the delimitation Act of 2002. With over 4.5 lakh voters, it includes Maheshwaram, Kandukur, Osman Nagar, and a part of Saroornagar. Due to its close proximity to Hyderabad, the constituency has experienced commercial and real estate growth since the formation of Telangana State. The majority of voters in this constituency belong to weaker sections of society.

In the previous election held in 2018, Sabitha Indra Reddy from the INC emerged as the winner, defeating Teegala Krishna Reddy from BRS. In the 2014 Assembly elections, Teegala Krishna Reddy from TDP secured victory with 93,305 votes (42.86 percent), while Malreddy Ranga Reddy from INC stood second with 62,521 votes (28.72 percent), and Kotha Manohar Reddy from BRS garnered 42,517 votes (19.53 percent). In the 2018 election, Sabitha Indra Reddy from INC won with 95,481 votes (40.76 percent), followed by Teegala Krishna Reddy from BRS with 86,254 votes (36.82 percent), and Angela Sriramulu from BJP with 39,445 votes (16.84 percent).

According to political analysts, there is a significant internal rift within the BRS party. Former Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy, who is also vying for the MLA ticket in the upcoming election, is planning to join BJP. In 2018, the sitting MLA won from the Congress ticket, and in the upcoming election, Congress candidates Charla Narsimarrddy and Deepa Bhasker Reddy are likely to give tough competition as well as BJP’s Angela Sriramlu and Vidender Goud.

Residents of Maheshwaram express concerns about long-standing unresolved issues in the constituency, particularly in minority areas like Kandukur and Saroornagar. These areas have been neglected, resulting in recurring drinking water shortage during every summer. Additionally, there is an immediate need for proper road connectivity, which has been pending for decades. Another concern is the encroachment on the water bodies, especially the Osman Nagar lake, causing hardships during every monsoon as water enters residents houses, as shared by Kareem, a resident of Maheshwaram.