Hyderabad: Pressure cookers gifts are a new trend in electoral politics in the South, including Telangana State.
After Karnataka, Adilabad district in Telangana State is witnessing Pressure cooker politics to lure prospective voters, especially women.
With election notification yet to come, a Congress aspirant found a novel way to attract voters—win them over with much useful home need pressure cookers!
Kandi Srinivas Reddy, an NRI floated an NGO KSR Foundation and applied for Congress ticket. He hails from Hasnapur village in Tamsi Mandal of Adilabad district and is into IT sector from Texas, USA.
Though his ticket is yet to be confirmed, Srinivas Reddy thought of making his presence felt in the Adilabad assembly segment where he intends to contest.
After scouting for various options, he found public utility Pressure Cooker gifts as best bet to win over the voters.
He got the idea from the election campaign of Nara Bharath Reddy who won as MLA from Bellary city in Karnataka on Congress ticket.
Ahead of Karnataka elections, Bharath Reddy distributed pressure cookers to voters with his picture and won. His father Nara Suryanarayan is former Janata Dal secular MLA, who joined the Congress in 2014.
Similarly, another Karnataka Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy was also seen distributing pressure cookers among voters. He was elected consecutively for seven terms from Jayanagar and BTM layout Assembly Constituency — 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2023.
Similarly, BJP MLA Aravind Limbavali too distributed pressure cookers for free to electorates.
It might be recalled that former Tamil Nadu CM late, J Jayalalitha distributed “Amma fans” made in Hyderabad to voters while rivals distributed grinders in Tamil Nadu polls.
However, Congress Adilabad ticket aspirant Srinivas Reddy faced objections from the supporters of Former Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna, who is Adilabad MLA from ruling BRS.
Taking exception to distribution of pressure cooker, supporters of Minister Jogu Ramanna lodged police complaint and ensured pressure cookers were seized from a godown.
He has planned to distribute pressure cookers to about 55,000 voter families. Initial order is for 32,000 pressure cookers of 5 litre, which costs about Rs 1000 each. He planned to cover the entire voter family.
When cooker distribution programme was going on in the night of Friday in TTD Kalyana Mandapam in Adilabad town, police swung into action and stopped the distribution citing law and order problem, traffic jam etc. There were protests too.
“Unable to digest my growing popularity, MLA Jogu Ramanna has been creating obstacles. I am distributing pressure cookers to women from my hard-earned money. Jogu Ramanna is using police to stop my social work. He will face the ire of women,” Srinivas Reddy fumed.
He added, “MLA is Mahila Virodhi (anti-women). I have all the bills, invoices for the purchase of pressure cookers yet police have seized. Jogu Ramanna will have to pay a heavy price. I will ensure his defeat this time.”
While exuding confidence of getting Congress ticket and ensuring defeat of Jogu Ramanna, he said in case if he fails to get the ticket for any reason, he would strive for the victory of Congress candidate.”
Srinivas Reddy also helped in providing potable water in stress areas in the constituency, presented gift packs of saree, towel to 300 odd newlywed couples.He asserts Congress party’s six guarantees — Mahalakshmi, Rythu Bharosa, Cheyutha, Yuva Vikasam, Indiramma Ind0lu and Gruha Jyothi – will be a big hit.
He planned to distribute pressure cookers to about 55,000 voter families. Initial order is for 32,000 pressure cookers of 5 litre, which costs about Rs 1000 each. He planned to cover the entire voter family.
