Tough triangular fight for Vemulawada after parties change candidates in quick succession

Assembly Constituency :Vemulawada

District:Rajanna Sircilla

MLA: Ramesh Chennamaneni (Velama)

Total Voters: 2,13,234

Booths: 260

Urban Voters: 14%

Rural Voters: 86%%

Male: 49%

Female: 51%

Caste & Religious Demography:

• Gen + OBC: 79%

• SC: 18.6%

• ST: 2.3%

• Hindu: 94.5%

• Muslim: 4.2%

• Others: 1.3%

Candidates:

Chalimeda Laxmi Narasimha Rao (BRS)

CEO of the Chalimeda Ananda Rao Institute of Medical Sciences in Karimnagar and a close confidante of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), Laxmi Narasimha Rao studied Industrial and Production Engineering at Ramaiah Institute of Technology in 1981. He was given a seat after the BRS chief decided to replace incumbent MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh who was often by his dual citizenship issue. He stayed mostly in Germany.

Aadi Srinivas (Congress)

Aadi Srininvas a Munnuru Kapu by caste born in Rudrangi of Chandurti mandal. He entered active politics as an independent in student union elections. He was Chandurti ZPTC and also MPTC. Later he joined the Congress. He played a role in filing a case against Chennamaneni Ramesh in the High Court in 2013, following which the court ruled that the inclusion of Ramesh’s name in electoral rolls was illegal. Aadi is the president of DCC Rajanna Siricilla district.

Chennamaneni Vikas Rao (BJP)

The BJP, despite clearing the name of Tula Uma, Etela Rajender's nominee for Velulawada, sprung a surprise by issuing a B-form to Chennamaneni Vikas Rao. Uma was the former Zilla Parishad Chairperson. Vikas Rao is the son of former Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and also the cousin of sitting MLA from Vemulawada, Chennamaneni Ramesh Babu, who is from the BRS. Vika's father Ch Vidyasagar Rao and former MLA Ch Rajeshwar Rao were brothers. Ramesh is the son of the late Rajeshwar Rao.

AC information:

Geography

There are seven mandals in this Assembly constituency. Thy re: Vemulawada Urban, Vemulawada Rural, Chandurthi, Rudrangi, Katlapur, Medipally and Konaraopeta. Chandurthi, Konaraupeta, Aurangi and Vemulawada rural mandals are under Rajanna Sirisilla district. Kathalapur and Medipally mandals are within the district of Jagtial.

Background: Chennamaneni Rajeshwar Rao, father of incumbent MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh, was elected five times as MLA from this constituency. Four times, he won from the CPI(M) party and in 2004, he was elected once as a TDP candidate. Munnuru Kapu, Mudhiraj and Goud castes are important castes in this constituency.

Lambadi voters are concentrated in Rudrangi, Katlapur and Medipally mandals. Muslims are concentrated in Vemulawada town. Reddy community is politically dominant in Chandurthi, Katlapur, Medipally and Konaraopet mandals. Velama are politically dominant in Konaraopet and Medipally mandals in this AC.

MLA profile:

Personal Background: Chennamaneni Ramesh was born in 1956 to a family of freedom fighters and politicians in Karimnagar. His father was the veteran Communist leader, Ch Rajeswara Rao. He moved to Germany for his higher education and completed his Ph.D. in 1987 from Humboldt University. He got German citizenship in 1983.

Profession: Business.

Political Background: In 2009, after his father's retirement, he contested in elections and won as MLA from the TDP. Later he joined the TRS (now BRS) and won consecutively in 2010,2014 and 2018 Elections.

Financial Strength: Very strong.

Remarks: Very soft and humble person. He has allegations of dual citizenship which is still going on in the High Court.

Cultural

1. Vemulawada Shri Raja Rajeshwara temple

2. Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple

3. Sri Bheemeshwara Temple

4. Baddi Pochamma Temple

2014 Assembly analysis:

• BRS incumbent MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh won with a smaller majority compared with his vote share in the 2010 by-election. In this election, he was able to consolidate Velama, Reddy community support along with Madiga community. Public sympathy that as a MLA he resigned the post in 2010 for the Telangana movement.

• Aadi Srinivas who had been in the Congress till then, contested on the BJP ticket and came second. The major inclination of Munnuru Kapu and Mudhiraj voters towards BJP, his contacts in the Congress cadre, and the influence of BJP Parliamentary candidate Ch. Vidyasagar Rao put the BJP in second position. The TDP's traditional vote bank is also majorly inclined towards the BJP in this election.

• Along with the Congress traditional vote share in Muslim and Madiga communities, a chunk of Goud community support Bomma Venkateshwarlu (Munnuru Kapu) was able to secure third place in this election.

2018 Assembly analysis:

• Chennamaneni Ramesh retained this constituency consecutively for the fourth time. Consolidation of the Velama community towards the TRS and the major inclination of BC castes due to State welfare schemes helped the TRS to win this election. The BRS's promise to develop Vemulawada Temple also attracted Vemulawada urban voters to the BRS side. Muslim voters are inclined to BRS in this election.

• After the 2014 elections, Aadi Srinivas rejoined the Congress and contested in this election. With the sympathy towards him among the public due to his consecutive defeats, the TDP traditional vote bank support, Congress candidate Aadi Srinivas was able to secure second position in this election.

• Pratap Ramakrishna (Brahmin) from the BJP secured third place due to the lack of a strong cadre base for him in that period.

Current situation:

• On the development front, the BRS party is facing anti-incumbency and the non-availability of MLA to people.

• The BRS changed the candidate and chose Chalimeda Laxmi Narasimha Rao instead.

• KCR spoke to the sulking Chennamaneni Ramesh at Pragathi Bhavan

• Tula Uma, ex-ZP chairman of Karimnagar, who joined the BJP along with Etela Rajendra has command in Katlapur mandal in this Assembly seat. She worked as Telangana Mahila Morcha state president.

• But, the BJP changed candidate in the last minute and gave B form to Chenamaneni Vikas Rao

• Ch Vidhyasagar Rao still has a command and follower base in this constituency

• MP Bandi Sanjay also has a strong youth base in this constituency. The BJP is still weak at the village level.

• Aadi Srinivas from the Congress has his own cadre but the Congress is also weak at village level.

• The BJP is strong in Medipally mandal due to Vidhyasagar Rao's influence.

Key local issues:

• Kalikota Suramma project for medipally and katlapur mandals project provides water from 50,000 acres is pending from 2014.

• Irregularities in the lift irrigation project at Malkapeta village of Konaraopet mandal

• Villages that have been evacuated for the Mid Manair project have not yet received compensation.

• The construction of the bridge over the Moolavagu on the way to the temple is not yet completed. The bridge, which was under construction, has collapsed twice so far.

• On Temple development promises, the incumbent government acquired 30 acres of Temple Pond. Despite promises of development roads around the temple have to be developed and pilgrim amenities needs to be created.