Telangana Assembly elections: Sircilla's textile industry weaves poll narrative with KCR's son Rama Rao in fray

He further said efforts are on to provide livelihood to about 10,000 beedi workers of the area in the newly set up Apparel Park Sircilla.

Elected in 2009 for the first time, Rama Rao, in 2010, resigned from the seat during the separate Telangana movement but won the by-elections with a huge margin against the same rival. In 2014 and 2018, the BRS leader was again elected from the same seat.

KK Mahender Reddy of the Congress Party is contesting this time from the constituency while Rani Rudrama is vying to become a legislator on a BJP ticket.

Rama Rao alleged that the Congress rival Mahender Reddy comes to the constituency only when elections are announced. Nonetheless, Reddy, who narrowly lost by a margin of only 171 votes in the 2009 Assembly polls to Rama Rao, presents a contrasting account.

According to him, Rama Rao failed in fulfilling promises such as bringing a railway line to Sircilla, and providing civic infrastructure. "Rama Rao also promised that he would bring a degree college and playground to each mandal. He said he would set up a 30-bed hospital. He promised to transform Sircilla as a Dallas like city," Reddy said.

"Very few people were benefited with Bathukamma sarees order from the state government," he said, adding other allied industries such as cotton and dyeing are not doing well.

BJP candidate Rani Rudrama said she is confident of winning the polls. She hit out at her high-profile rival and said Rama Rao completely failed to provide proper civic infrastructure in the constituency. She accused him of not being present in the constituency even for 14 days, despite being an MLA for 14 years. She also claimed that a rampant "sand mafia" operates in Sircilla.

Rudrama promised that if voted to become a legislator she would ensure that all the central and state government schemes reach the grassroots. She said she would try to create a ”powerloom cluster’ in the constituency.