A year on, BRS reignites battle with Komatireddy Rajagopal, now in Congress, in Munugode

District: Nalgonda

MLA: Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 2,43,226

Booths: 307

Urban Voters: 10%

Rural Voters: 90%

Male: 50.96%

Female: 49.04%

Caste & Religious Demography

Gen + BC: 75.50%

SC: 17.70%

ST: 6.70%

Hindu: 96%

Muslim: 3%

Others : 1.00%

Candidates profile

Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy (BRS)

Born in 1965, Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy completed his B.Sc. from Nagarjuna College, Nalgonda and. He completed B.Ed. from Viveka Vardhini College, Hyderabad. He started his career as a teacher before entering politics.

He joined the TRS (now BRS) in 2002 under his mentor Kallem Yadagiri Reddy, a leading activist for Telangana statehood. He was at the forefront of the agitation in Munugode. He became popular with the people for the effort. He contested as a BRS MLA in 2014 and won by a huge margin of 38,055 votes.

In the 2018 Telangana Assembly elections, he once again contested as a BRS MLA but lost to Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy of the Congress by a margin of 22,552 votes. When Rajagopal resigned as an MLA in 2022 to join the BJP, Prabhakar contested again in the by-poll which he won by over 10,000 votes.

Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy (Congress)

He was born on June 1, 1967. In 1992, he completed his Bachelor of Arts (External) from Osmania University, Rajgopal Reddy started his political career with the Congress and won as the Bhuvanagiri MP in 2009. In 2016, Rajgopal Reddy was elected as an MLC from Munugode. He resigned from the post of MLC with three years of tenure remaining and won as an MLA from Munugode in the 2018 Assembly elections. He defected to the BJP but was defeated in the by-poll in 2022. He recently came back to the Congress.

Challamalla Krishna Reddy (BJP)

Chalamalla Krishna Reddy migrated from the Congress to the BJP less than a month ago and was nominated for the crucial Munugode ticket. Chalamalla was promised a ticket by the Congress and he worked for the party in the constituency but his dreams were shattered when Rajagopal was nominated for the ticket after he rejoined the party last month.

Constituency information

Munugode is considered as the most underdeveloped constituency in the district apart from Devarakonda, It was created after delimitation exercise in 1967.

Background: The seat had always been a bi-polar contest between the Congress and the CPI. Both the parties represented the constituency 6 times each with the BRS winning the seat for the first time in 2014 and then in the by-poll in 2022. Demographically it is BC dominated but politically, Reddies have ruled the constituency.

Geography: There are six mandals in Munugode- Munugode, Chandur, Narayanapuram, Nampally, Marrigudem and Choutuppal. Choutuppal is a municipality and Chandur is a major grama panchayath. Narayanapuram mandal consists of Rachakonda hills which is a famous tourist destination.

Economy: It is devoid of industries except in Choutuppal mandal which has around 70 industries. It is agriculturally dominated and also has weavers.

Cultural/Historical/Religious Identifiers

• Rachakonda fort
• Oldest Shivalayam temple in Rachakonda

2014 Election Analysis

• In 2014, Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy contested from the BRS after the successful completion of the Telangana movement and got 65,400 votes. KCR promised a permanent solution for the fluoride water issue which helped garner votes. Choutappal, Narayanapuram and Marriguda mandals voted in large numbers for the BRS which is populated by Yadav, Padmashali, Mudiraj, and other SC and ST communities.
• While the Congress denied ticket to Palvai Sravanthi, daughter of former MLA Palvai Govardan Reddy, she contested as an independent in 2014 and got 27,441 votes. Dalits, STs and Minorities voted for her due to the good image her father had with those communities.
• The BJP contested in alliance with the TDP here. BJP candidate Gangidi Manohar Reddy got 27434 votes (7 less than Sravanthi). In 2014, BCs supported the alliance. Yadavs, Gouds and Mudhirajs have long been inclined to the TDP.
• Infightings in the Congress benefited the BRS
• Gouds and Mudiraj voters inclined towards the BRS.
• BJP candidate Manohar Reddy was not active before 2014 and got votes only because of, Modi wave and alliance with the TDP.

2018 by-poll analysis

• The BRS won the Munugode Assembly seat in the fiercely contested by-election. It polled five per cent more votes compared to the 2018 election by fielding the same candidate, while Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who was earlier elected on a Congress ticket, tasted defeat despite a huge jump in the BJP's vote share.
• Koosukuntla Prabhakar Reddy was elected with a majority of 10,309 votes over his nearest rival Rajagopal Reddy, who switched loyalties to the BJP necessitating the by-election.
• The vote share of the BRS had gone up from 38.1 per cent in 2018 to 42.95 per cent. A section of traditional voters remained with the Congress party which dented the chances of Rajagopal Reddy.
• Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also garnered a good number of votes (4,146), further marring the prospects of Rajagopal Reddy.

Key Local Issues

• Government hospital and college construction
• Chotuppal is facing huge pollution problems through the chemical companies.