Disgruntled Bapu Rao Rathod, formidable Soyam Bapu Rao give tough fight to BRS in Boath

Assembly Constituency: Boath (ST)

Parliament: Adilabad

District: Adilabad

MLA Name: Bapu Rao Rathod (Lambaada)

MP: Name: Soyam Bapurao ( Caste)

Reservation: ST

Total Voters: 2,04,476 Rural Voters: 95%

Booths: 302 Male: 50%

Urban Voters: 5% Female: 50%

Caste & Religious Demography:

• Gen + OBC: 51.5%
• SC: 15.6%
• ST: 32.9%
• Hindu: 88.8%
• Muslim: 9.2%
• Others : 3%

Candidates

Anil Jadhav (BRS)

The BRS candidate Anil Jadhav, is a native of remote Rajura village in Neradigonda mandal. He was an active student leader earlier who said that his father, a sarpanch, inspired him to join politics. He would be replacing four-time MLA Rathod Bapu Rao of the BRS. Facing an uphill task of matching his predecessor’s shoes, Anil wished to win the election this time as he never won an election before. Anil contested from Boath on a Congress ticket in 2009 and in 2014. He again contested in 2018 as an independent. Facing three consecutive defeats and a decline in the percentage votes polled, he has the backing of Adilabad MLA Jogu Ramanna.

Vannela Ashok (Congress)

In a constituency that was dominated by the Congress till 1983, the TDP till 1999, and the TRS (BRS) till 2018, the Congress is trying a new face, Vannela Ashok.

Soyam Bapu Rao (BJP)

Soyam Bapu Rao was born on April 28, 1969 in Wajjar Adilabad, Telangana. Soyam Bapu Rao was elected as an MLA for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Boath, Adilabad district in 2004. In the 2014 elections, Bapu Rao contested as a Telugu Desam Party candidate from Boath and lost to Rathod Bapu Rao of the TRS. After bifurcation of the State, he joined the Congress in the 2018 elections from Boath and lost to Rathod Bapu Rao. He later joined the BJP and contested for the Lok Sabha. He won the Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency with a margin of 58,560 votes by defeating Godam Nagesh of TRS. His comments on spending MPLADS funds for the construction of a house raked up a storm.

AC information:

Geography: The Boath Assembly constituency consists of 7 mandals namely Boath, Tamsi, Talamadugu, Ichodu, Bazarhathnoor, Neredigonda, and Gudihathnur. This constituency is fully covered with thick forests and waterfalls with tribal people. Most of the Lambaadi people were migrants from Maharashtra.

Background:

Boath is an ST-reserved constituency. From 1984 the TDP won five times, and the TRS won 3 times. Godam Nagesh's family has a strong command in the constituency. He won three times as an MLA and served two times as a Cabinet minister. His father Godam Naga Rao also won three times as an MLA from this seat and served as a tribal minister in the NTR's Cabinet. Gonds are politically and electorally dominating.

MLA Profile:

Personal Background: Rathod Bapu Rao was born on March 12 1962 in Adilabad District. He studied MA at Osmania University.

Profession: Agriculture, Real estate Business.

Political Background: His political journey started with the Telangana Rastra Samithi in 2008. He contested as a TRS candidate in the 2014 elections and became a member of the first Telangana Legislative Assembly from Boath constituency. Again in the 2018 elections, he won from the same constituency and became a member of the second Telangana Legislative Assembly. He resides in the camp office in Boath two days a week to be available to people.

Financial Strength: Strong

2014 Analysis:

The TRS candidate Rathod Bapu Rao took part actively in Telangana agitation and with the support of Godam Nagesh, he was able to get 62,870 votes. The INC Candidate Anil Jadhav has been in the INC for the past 10 years so he was very strong in Neredigonda Mandal in the constituency and the INC core vote bank votes of 35,877 stayed with him. Soyam Bapu Rao joined the TDP In 2013 and he split votes of Gond and traditional TDP votes of BC and ST. After the elections, Soyam Bapu Rao joined the Congress from the TDP. He successfully ignited the lambada movement in the Gond community.

2018 Assembly Analysis:

In 2018 Soyam Babu Rao contested the Congress with the support of Adivasis but rebel candidate Anil Jhadav divided the traditional Congress vote as a result Soyam Babu Rao lost by a four percent margin. Soyam Bapu Rao was able to consolidate Gond's votes. Independent Candidate Anil Jadhav was able to split the votes of Lambaadis and the Congress core vote bank. He also enjoyed sentiment votes during the last leg of the election. After the elections, the INC rebel Anil Jadhav joined the TRS in the presence of KTR. The TRS candidate Rathod Bapu Rao got split votes of Lambaadi and consolidated votes of OBC.

Current Situation:

Presently sitting MLA Rathod Bapu Rao was ignored and was replaced by Anil Jadhav. BJP MP Soyam Babu Rao is contesting as an MLA. A political novice Vannela Ashok is contesting on the Congress ticket.

Key Local Issues:

• This assembly has a couple of waterfalls but tourism is not developed

• There are no major Irrigation projects

• In summer people face drinking water problem

• No proper Government Hospitals

• Several villages lack power supply