Serilingampally May Remain TDP’s Fortress, Chevella Favourable To Congress

The Chevella assembly constituency (SC) in the undivided Ranga Reddy district was represented by TRS leader Kale Yadaiah, who switched from the Congress after the 2014 polls. Interestingly, the TRS candidate who was defeated by Yadaiah in 2014, KS Ratnam, happens to be the Congress candidate now, while Kale Yadaiah of the TRS and BJP's Kanjarla Prakash fight for victory in the 224,170 strong electorate.

Yadaiah defeated KS Ratnam in 2014 by a small margin of 781 votes. With the recent upset after local MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy's quitting the TRS, the tide is clearly turning the Congress's way in the undivided Ranga Reddy district. Analysts say KS Ratnam should sail through in the December 7 polls, given the Congress's strong foundation in the constituency.

The Serilingampally assembly constituency in the undivided Ranga Reddy district is a high-profile affair for major political parties trying to gain the trust of the residents from Seemandhra, who are to be found in large numbers in the constituency. A win in the assembly seat would allow the parties to get a hold of several divisions that would be crucial in winning the GHMC elections, scheduled to be held mid-next year. In the 2014 elections, Shankar Goud, the then TRS candidate was defeated by Arekapudi Gandhi by a margin of 75,904 votes. Gandhi later jumped ship to the TRS.

This time around, the Congress-TDP Mahakutami has pinned its hopes on Bhavya Anand Prasad, a business magnate and film producer, opposite Gandhi. The Congress's senior leader M.Bhikshapati Yadav won over TDP's Muvva Satyanarayana in 2009 by just 1,327 votes. Following the denial of the Serilingampally to their leader, associates of Bhikshapati Yadav openly confessed to having a determination to defeat the TDP in the constituency at any cost. However, with the Congress senior leadership's intervention, the Mahakutami may go all guns blazing for the TDP candidate, it is said. G. Yoganand of the BJP could prove to be crucial in deciding the winning candidate, analysts say.

Watch this space for more updates on Telangana Assembly elections 2018.

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