BRS's Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy harps on development for hat-trick victory in Suryapet, groupism haunts Congress

Assembly Constituency: Suryapet

District: Suryapet

MLA: Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy

Reservation: GEN

Total Voters: 2,30,144

Booths: 284

Urban Voters: 36%

Rural Voters: 64%

Male: 50.33%

Female: 49.67%

Caste & Religious Demography

• Gen + BC: 65.90%
• SC: 18.80%
• ST: 15.30%
• Hindu: 93.00%
• Muslim: 06.00%
• Others : 1.00%

Candidates

Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy (BRS)

Jagadish Reddy was born on July 18, 1965 to Ramachandra Reddy and Savithri in Nagaram village in Suryapet district. He pursued his graduation from Sri Venkateswara Degree college, Suryapet in 1985. He did his Bachelor of Law from Siddhartha Law College, Vijayawada. He practiced as a lawyer in Nalgonda district court. He served as the first Bar association president of Nalgonda district.

He joined the Telangana movement in 2001 and was one of the early members in the TRS (now BRS). In the 2009 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA for the first time on behalf of the TRS in Huzurnagar Assembly constituency. He was defeated by Congress candidate N Uttam Kumar Reddy. In the 2014 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA from Suryapet and defeated independent candidate Sankineni Venkateswar Rao.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA for the first time on behalf of the TRS and defeated Congress candidate Ramreddy Damodar Reddy. He is serving as Minister for Energy in the KCR Cabinet. In the 2023 Assembly elections, he is contesting for a third consecutive term and is going to take on Congress candidate Ramreddy Damodar Reddy and BJP candidate Sankineni Venkateswar Rao.

Ramreddy Damodar Reddy (Congress)

Damodar Reddy was born on September 14, 1952 in Lingala village in Khammam district. He began his political journey with the Congress and contested as an MLA for the first time in the 1985 Assembly elections from Thungathurthy constituency. From 1989 to 2009, he served as an MLA from Thungathurthy four times and once from Suryapet. In the 1999 Assembly elections, he was defeated by TDP candidate Sankineni Venkateswar Rao.

He is a five-time MLA. He served as the IT Minister in the Congress Government in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet. In the 2014 and 2018 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA on behalf of the Congress from Suryapet constituency. He was defeated twice by TRS candidate Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy in the last two elections. In the 2023 Assembly elections, he is going to take on BRS candidate and Minister for Energy Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy again.

Sankineni Venkateswar Rao (BJP)

Venkateswar Rao was born on June 10, 1963 in Thungathurthy in Suryapet district. His parents are Rama Rao and Kamalamma. He pursued his class X in ZP high school in Thungathurthy. He began his political journey with the TDP and won as an MLA in the 1999 Assembly elections from Tungathurthi constituency.

In the 2004 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA for the second time and was defeated by Congress candidate Ramreddy Damodar Reddy. In the 2009 Assembly elections, he did not contest and was involved in the party activities. In 2012, he shifted his loyalties to the YSRCP from the TDP. In 2014, he quit the YSRCP and joined the BJP. In the 2014 and 2018 Assembly elections, he was defeated by TRS candidate Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy.

Rao served as the in-charge of LB Nagar in the 2020 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, and as the election in-charge in the 2021 Nagarjuna Sagar by-election. He is currently BJP State vice-president and Suryapet BJP district in-charge.

Assembly constituency information

Background

• Suryapet Assembly constituency was formed in 1952. So far, 14 times elections have been held in this constituency.
• The Congress won six times, the TDP thrice, the TRS won twice and the CPI and the PDF won once each from this constituency.

Geography

• Suryapet, Chivemla ,Athmakur and Penpahad are the four Assembly constituencies
• In Athmakur mandal, the TRS won a ZPTC and 12 MPTCs in this mandal and the Congress won three MPTCs. In this mandal, BCs are a majority. Among them ,Gouds are a majority and they will support the TRS.
• In Chivemla mandal, one ZPTC and four MPTCs were won by the TRS and the Congress won three MPTCs. In these mandals, BCs and tribals are a majority and tribals support the TRS.
• In Penpahad mandal, one ZPTC and seven MPTCs were won by the TRS, the Congress won only two MPTCs. A majority of the BCs from this mandal support the TRS.
• In Suryapet, one ZPTC and seven MPTCs were won by the TRS, the Congress won three MPTCs. BCs and Reddies are a majority in this mandal and they support the TRS.

Economy

• Suryapet economy is predominantly dependent on Agriculture. Suryapet market yard is one of the biggest markets in Telangana region.

Cultural / Historical / Religious Identifiers

• Pedhagattu Lingamathula festival
• Pillalamarri Shivalayam
• Nagulpahad Shivalayam
• Undrukonda caves

2014 Assembly elections Analysis

• In 2014, the TRS wave and Telangana movement helped Jagadish Reddy win the elections. He was very active in the TRS and in the Telangana movement that gave much attention to the public and youth in Suryapet.
• Anti-incumbency on Congress MLA Ramreddy Damodar Reddy was one of the reasons for his victory. Mainly BCs like Yadavs, Gouds and Padmashali supported the TRS. Because these sections were very active in the Telangana movement, they directly supported the TRS.

2018 Assembly election Analysis:

• Promises like integrated model market and transforming Sadula cheruvu into a mini tank bund and the TRS Government welfare schemes such as Rythu Bandhu and sheep distribution to Yadava community helped Jagadhish Reddy win the 2018 Assembly elections.
• Yadavas are a majority in this Assembly Constituency. Many of the Yadav community people benefited in the sheep distribution scheme. Lingamathula swamy temple in Chivemla mandal is holy place to Yadavas. Minister Jagadhish Reddy developed this temple and offered chairman post to the yadav community.
• Pravallika, who blongs to Padmashali community was the Suryapet municipal chairprson till 2020, and the TRS offered this post to Padmahslis and a majority of them voted for the TRS.
• The alliance between parties like the Congress, the TDP, the TJS and the Communists was not successful. Lack of coordination among alliance parties damaged the winning chances of the Congress. Another main reason was that TDP leader Patel Ramesh Reddy shifted his loyalties to the Congress along with Revanth Reddy and expected a ticket in the Assembly elections.
• The Congress leadership refused to give ticket to Ramesh Reddy. Because of this reason, he did not participate actively in the elections.
• BJP leader Sankineni Venkateshwar Rao was very active in the constituency, but ground level cadre was not strong in this constituency. He belongs to Velama but the community's population was very less in Suryapet. That was also one of the reasons for the BJP losing in Suryapet.

Current Situation

• Minister Jagadish Reddy is facing serious corruption allegations and his alleged involvement in assasination of Boddupally Srinivas, husband of Nalgonda municipal chairperson Nagalakshmi.
• Jagadish Reddy is not accessible to local people.
• The Congress is facing a lot of groupism within. GGu
• TPCC president A Revanth Reddy is not supporting Damodar Reddy's candidature.

Key Local Issues

• Railway line
• Development of Pulla Reddy lake
• Medical college building
• Suryapet area hospital
• Connectivity roads in Chivemla Mandal
• Expansion of roads in Suryapet town
• Drainage system in Suryapet town