Telangana Elections 2023: Gajwel battle between CM, friend-turned-foe goes down to the wire

With a weak Congress campaign, the electoral contest in Gajwel intensifies as a fierce battle between the ruling BRS and the BJP.

Gajwel: The nail-biting fight in the high-profile Gajwel constituency between two heavyweights of Telangana politics reached a climax with the Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party chief K Chandrashekhar Rao choosing Gajwel as the final stop of his aggressive state-wide campaign, swinging the tide in his favour.

In a game of fluctuating fortunes, the main challenger, Eatala Rajender of the BJP, took advantage of the absence of KCR and appeared to be ‘springing a surprise’.

But the last-minute move of KCR, who addressed a spirited public gathering of approximately 25,000 people on November 28 evening, might well check the BJP big gun’s chances.

“This is the land that elected me twice and made me the Chief Minister of Telangana. When we were in the thick of the agitation for statehood, Siddipet (KCR won four consecutive elections in Siddipet -- from 1985 to 1999) strengthened me. If you elect me again, I will promise you to take the development of this constituency to the skies. It will be a model to everyone,” said KCR.

Rajender is now keen to turn from a challenger to a giant-killer.

Also read: Telangana Elections 2023: Will KCR’s risky bet of tickets to nearly all his sitting MLAs pay off?

The venue, a sprawling ground in front of the Integrated Office Complex, transformed into a festive spectacle, adorned with fluttering pink flags and a towering 30-ft circular banner, illustrating each promise, accompanied by captivating photos and portraits of KCR. “This is my final and 96th meeting. I seek your blessings again as the campaign comes to an end,” the BRS chief said.

After filing his nomination, a confident KCR had delayed his visit to the constituency until the final day of campaigning on November 28.

BRS leaders assert that KCR has spearheaded significant development in the region, spanning infrastructure, water supply, and healthcare. A 100-bed super-specialty hospital dedicated to women and children stands about a kilometre from the public meeting venue and these, they believe, position him favourably in the electoral race.

Tough challenge from BJP’s Rajender

However, KCR, who secured victories in Gajwel in 2014 and 2018, faces a tough challenge from BJP’s Rajender, a former trusted lieutenant. Rajender, credited with ensuring KCR's 2014 triumph, has surged as a formidable contender in recent days.

Rajender quit the ruling party BRS, then TRS in 2021, and was re-elected in a bypoll in 2021 on a BJP ticket, and soon rose to become the top leader of the party.

Rajender is also contesting in Huzurabad in Karimnagar district. Speaking at a function organised by the SC and sub-caste communities in Gajwel, Rajender took a dig at the BRS government and said that the promises made to Dalits were not fulfilled.

“KCR said that he would give three acres of land to Dalits but he cheated them. Not only that, he also took over the lands of the Dalits paying a paltry Rs 10 lakh as compensation. He is robbing the poor to pay the rich,” he alleged.

Also read: Exit Polls 2023: When and where to watch live?

Congress campaign weak

Despite the Congress witnessing a resurgence across the state, the Congress candidate in Gajwel, Tumkunta Narsa Reddy, who began the campaign energetically earlier this month, has faded into silence in the final week. With a weak Congress campaign, the electoral contest in Gajwel intensifies as a fierce battle between the ruling BRS and the BJP.

In addition to Gajwel, KCR is contesting from Kamareddy, where he and his party have mounted a vigorous campaign.

While showcasing welfare initiatives, such as Rythu Bandhu, the criticisms he face include unemployment and the discontent among farmers affected by the Mallanna Sagar project displacement.

Fourteen villages, where farmers complain of insufficient rehabilitation packages, have witnessed protests, with some individuals contesting against the CM in protest to express their grievances. The presence of four unemployed youth, including a Ph.D. scholar, among the candidates, who are also contesting in protest, swells the contestant count to one of the highest in the state.

“Rythu Bandhu appears to be a good scheme, on the face of it. If you dwell deep, you see that a farmer who has one acre gets Rs 1 lakh a year and a farmer with 10 acres, gets Rs 10 lakh. Most of the land is tenanted and the landlords get money from the scheme and the tiller. This is sure to widen the economic inequality and does not help the real farmers,” said K Abraham, an MBA graduate who runs a tea shop on the main road.

In close proximity, another B.Tech graduate, Md. Musab, runs a paan shop. “Most of our Muslim friends supported BRS last time. This time, too, about 40 percent will still vote for BRS. The BJP candidate has a lot of goodwill here, but it would be a tight fight and we do not want to split the vote,” said Musab, who is also the ward vice-president for the BRS.

Gajwel is about 60 km from the state capital Hyderabad. With about 2.6 lakh voters, the Muslim population in Gajwel is estimated to be approximately 12 percent. In 2018, KCR secured 125,444 votes and defeated his nearest rival Vanteru Pratap Reddy of the Congress by a margin of 58,290 votes. However, with anti-incumbency and fading Telangana sentiment, a victory in itself will be a big boon for the BRS chief.

Elections will be held for all the 119 Assembly constituencies in the state on November 30 and results will be declared on December 3, along with the other four states that went to polls.