Cantonment Bypoll: Sympathy factor may not tilt scales in favour of BRS’ Nivedita this time

Hyderabad: Congress is now eyeing to end former MLA G Sayanna's family legacy in the by-election to Secunderabad Cantonment segment. The Congress candidate N Sri Ganesh is adopting different strategies to win the election by diffusing the sympathy wave of voters on Sayanna’s daughter Congress, G Sayanna, Secunderabad Cantonment, by-election, N Sri Ganesh, Lasya Nivedita, BRS, who is contesting from BRS.

With the death of BRS MLA G Lasya Nanditha in an accident in February, the by-election became necessary to fill the vacant post, and the BRS party once again is pinning their hopes on a sympathy wave, so the party has chosen Lasya Nivedita, the daughter of former BRS leader, late G Sayanna, who was a five-time MLA of Secunderabad Cantonment assembly constituency. In contrast, the Congress has given the ticket to N Sri Ganesh, and hopes to win the seat on the aspirant’s goodwill.

As this bypoll is crucial for Congress and BRS, both the candidates have started their campaigns in right earnest. According to observers, the Congress MLA candidate, as soon as he had received the ticket, has been campaigning on the ground and seeking votes by visiting each and every resident of the Cantonment. He is also meeting leaders from several communities, and in a public meeting held recently, assured the people of Cantonment for providing better infrastructure and implementing the long-pending 2-BHK scheme.

According to political analysts, in this election, the sympathy wave for Nivedita would not be working, as the locals of Cantonment want development and change this time. The seat has been with the Sayanna family since 1994, except once in 2009 when the Congress had won. Once a TDP stronghold, it was won by Sayanna on TDP ticket in 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2014, and on BRS ticket in 2018.As per 2023 assembly poll, The BRS had a vote share of over 47%, BJP got a little over 33% and Congress secured around 17%.

The Congress party cadres are confident that this time the party has a chance of winning the bypoll, as pending projects like the approval of skyways and also many development activities began in the areas after the Congress party came to power in the state.