Kodangal: A Prestigious Fight Between Congress And BRS
Kodangal Assembly constituency is spread across Vikarabad and Narayanpet districts in Telangana. The segment received lot of attention in the election as it is witnessing a two-way tight fight between Telangana Congress President A Revanth Reddy, and sitting BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy. Besides BJP”s nominee Banti Ramesh Kumar also joins the contest.
Congress and BRS are in a tough fight in Kodangal, as Revanth Reddy is fighting to secure the seat which he lost to Narender Reddy in 2018 elections. In the 2018 Assembly election, Narendra Reddy defeated Revanth Reddy by a margin of 9,319 votes, while BJP lost its deposit with just 2,624 votes. The BRS had received a 48.78 per cent vote share, while the Congress gathered 43.15 per cent. In the 2018 polls, an independent candidate garnered more votes than the BJP candidate. Revanth Reddy traces the history of representing Kodangal as a MLA twice, in 2009 and 2014.
Kodangal assembly segment consists of nine mandals, four in the Vikarabad district and five in Narayanpet. According to the Election Commission, the constituency comprises 2.30 lakh voters – 1.14 lakh men, 1.16 lakh women and others 12. The dominant castes in the region are Reddys, Mudirajus, minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Kodangal is an agriculture based region, and cotton, pigeon peas and paddy are their major crops. Though BRS government claims to be farmer supportive, Kodangal reports serious agrarian dissent against the government. Lack of irrigation water is one of the important grievance which farmers of the region have discontent with the ruling government. “Farmers in rain-fed areas of Kodangal, located in Vikarabad district, feel discriminated against even after nine years of the BRS rule as they are totally dependent on underground borewells and nature to cultivate their crops,” Deccan Herald reports.
Similarly, unemployment crisis where youth in the region failed to come across any job opportunities is another pertinent issue Kodangal faces. Since there are no employment opportunities, youth had to migrate to nearby cities seeking jobs. Congress in his election appeal is cashing on these two woes, whereas sitting MLA Narender Reddy in his campaigns promises “employment and irrigation waters to farmers” if he came to power for the second time. He even suggests a project titled, Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme to supply water to 1.49 lakh acres.
Aside from these issues, the region also identifies poor in capacity in matters of education and infrastructure. For emergency medical care and higher education, Kodangal people are heavily dependent on Hyderabad, Tandur Mandal, and Mahabubnagar, reports The South First. Additionally, the segment necessitates development in basic infrastructure facilities including proper roads, hospital, bus stands, and shopping spots. The locals report that as Kodangal constituency is spread across two districts, it is difficult to carry out developmental plans in the region.
Farmers also records their mixed response towards BRS government”s several pro-farmer schemes. Many alleges that “welfare schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Runa Mafi, and Dalit Bandhu have been given to only BRS party workers and most genuine beneficiaries have been left out,” The South Firs reports.
Since the creation of Kodangal Assembly constituency, Congress won the election six times, while independents, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and BRS have won three, five and one respectively. The battle is tight because securing the segment is a prestigious matter between the Congress and the BRS.
