BRS once again locks horns with Nalgonda MP Uttam Kumar Reddy of Congress in Huzurnagar

District: Suryapet

MLA: Shanampudi Saidi Reddy (BRS)

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 2,37,325

Booths: 308

Urban Voters: 0%

Rural Voters: 100%

Male: 49.80%

Female: 50.20%

Caste & Religious Demography

Gen + BC: 69.10%

SC: 17.00%

ST: 14.00%

Hindu: 92%

Muslim: 7%

Others : 1.00%

Candidates Profile

Shanampudi Saidi Reddy (BRS)

Personal Background: Shanampudi Saidi Reddy belongs to Gundlapally village Matampally mandal in Huzurnagar constituency. After his graduation, he moved to Jamaica and worked as a lecturer in a college. Later, he joined the United Nations population fund as an IT manager. He then moved to Canada and ran a restaurant. He returned to India to establish an engineering college in Suryapet.

Political Background: In 2015, when Saidi Reddy returned to India, he started working on social issues in Huzurnagar. He focused on youth development and women empowerment. He started an organisation called SYE which was successful in mobilising the youth in Huzurnagar constituency. In 2018, he contested on TRS ticket but lost by a narrow margin of 7,000 votes. In the 2019 by-elections, he won as an MLA from Huzurnagar by a record margin of 73,000 votes.

Financial Background: Financially he is very sound. He is married to Rajitha Reddy who is also an entrepreneur.

Nalamada Uttam Kumar Reddy (Congress)

Nalamada Uttam Kumar Reddy was born on June 20, 1962 and is a former Indian Air Force pilot. He is the current Nalgonda MP. Uttam Kumar Reddy is a five-time MLA from the Congress. He also served as the Housing Minister in N Kiran Kumar Reddy's Cabinet. He won the 1999 and 2004 elections from Kodad. He then shifted to the Huzurnagar constituency and won the 2009 and 2014 elections. After the formation of Telangana, he contested and won the 2018 elections from Huzurnagar.

He was the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) from March 2015 until June 2021.After the defeat of the Congress in the 2020 GHMC elections, he resigned from the post.

Challa Srilatha Reddy (BJP)

Challa Srilatha Reddy was recently part of the ruling BRS and served as the vice-chairperson of Nareducharla municipality. She quit the party in October 2023 as she was offered a BJP ticket in Huzurnagar.

Srilatha Reddy was born on October 26, 1973. She earned her degree in Bachelor of Arts from Andhra Mahila Sabha and completed her post graduation in political science from Osmania University. In 2020, she also attained an LLB degree from Osmania University.

Constituency information

Geography: Huzurnagar, Nereducherla, Garidepally, Mattampally, Mellachervu, Chinthalapalem and Palakeedu are the seven mandals in the constituency.

Background: This constituency was formed in 2009 after the delimitation exercise. Before that, Huzurnagar was part of Kodad constituency. Uttam Kumar Reddy won thrice from here in 2009, 2014 and 2018. The BRS won here in 2020.

Economy: In Huzurnagar, the main occupation is agriculture, The Nagarjuna Sagar left canal is the main water body in this constituency. Apart from this, there are many small scale industries, cement factories and rice mills.

2014 election analysis

In 2014, Uttam Kumar Reddy contested from the Congress, Kasoju Shankaramma from the BRS and Vangala Swamy Goud from the TDP-BJP alliance. Various factors helped Uttam Kumar’s victory in the elections. Majorly, Reddy community votes are more in this segment. Uttam Kumar also projected himself as a chief ministerial candidate of the Congress. Since he was the Housing Minister in Kiran Kumar Reddy’s Vabinet, he sanctioned more than 6,000 houses in Huzurnagar constituency. The poor voted for him in gratitude. BRS candidate Kasoju Shankaramma, who was Telangana martyr Srkanth Chary's mother, was a non-local and the BRS local leaders did not cooperate with her. Money power was another important factor which aided Uttam Kumar Reddy. The TDP branded itself as an Andhra party in 2014 which acted to its disadvantage. Their cadres too supported Uttam. Gattu Srikanth Reddy contested from the YSRCP and came third after Reddies and Muslims voted for him.

2018 election analysis:

Uttam Kumar Reddy again contested in alliance with the TDP. He was the TPCC president and once again he projected himself as a chief ministerial candidate in this election. Uttam Kumar reminded the entire constituency of his services as a Minister which helped him win the elections. As the current MLA Saidi Reddy was new to the constituency and it was his first election, people were a little apprehensive. His vote share came only because of the ruling party’s welfare schemes.

Current Situation

Shanampudi Saidi Reddy is facing anti-incumbency in his segment. After winning as an MLA, there are allegations of land grabbing against him, while his cadre has been accused of indulging in illegal sand mining. The Congress became weak after Uttam became an MP and only mandal presidents and other party workers are coordinating the party’s activities for a long time.

Key Local Issues

• CC roads not yet constructed in many villages
• Underground drainage issues in Huzurnagar town.
• Demand for Huzurnagar-Kodad-Miryalaguda four lane highway has not materialised.former