Hyderabad: Union Tourism Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy would be hoping for a second straight victory as he enters the fray again from the prestigious Secunderabad constituency in Telangana in the May 13 Lok Sabha polls.
Reddy had contested the parliament elections for the first time in 2019 and romped home with over 60,000 votes against his nearest BRS rival Talasani Sai Kiran Yadav, a political novice then.
The ruling Congress and BRS are yet to name their candidates from Secunderabad.
The Secunderabad parliamentary constituency comprises the assembly segments of Musheerabad, Secunderabad, Amberpet, Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Sanatnagar and Nampally – all part of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
The BRS had bagged all the assembly constituencies, except Nampally, in the Legislative Assembly elections held in December, 2023.
The AIMIM had won the Nampally assembly segment.
However, the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency has been a stronghold of the BJP. Haryana Governor and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya had represented it four times between 1991 and 2019.
In addition to the Telangana natives, including Muslims, the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency comprises people from other states in the country in substantial numbers.
It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway and the serving and retired railway employees form a considerable part of the population in the constituency.
The voters of Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency include citizens engaged in a variety of professions — government and private sector employees, industrial workmen, petty traders and daily wage labourers to big corporate houses.
BRS no more in the scene: Congress
Ruling Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Working President and MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud told PTI that the contest in Secunderabad would be between his party and the BJP and that “BRS is no more in the scene”.
BRS incharge for Hyderabad Sravan Dasoju, however, said his party would win the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency thanks to the massive civic and infrastructure development work undertaken during the previous BRS regime.
BJP spokesperson N V Subhash highlighted the development works in Secunderabad, including the ongoing redevelopment of Secunderabad railway station, upgradation of railway and also civic infrastructure and ESI hospital in the constituency.
Kishan Reddy is the most acceptable candidate as he is accessible to people and party activists, he said.
Subhash added that it is not known so far as to who are the candidates of other major parties though the Lok Sabha schedule is expected to be announced soon.
