MALKAJGIRI HOT SPOT?

Just as Varanasi Lok Sabha seat is attracting nation-wide attention because of high-profile candidates jumping into the poll fray, the Malkajgiri segment in Andhra Pradesh too is arousing a lot of curiosity even before the battle has begun, as names of some top leaders are being tipped as prospective contenders for the constituency. Malkajgiri, a peripheral constituency in Hyderabad, is currently being represented by Union Minister of State for Road Transport Sarvey Satyanarayana. Names of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao, Jana Sena founder and Telugu film star Pawan Kalyan and Lok Satta Party chief N Jayaprakash Narayan have been doing rounds as "prospective" candidates for the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat. Chandrababu's son N Lokesh's name was also heard some time ago but subsequently he dropped out. In fact, Chandrababu's name was also floated by the TDP leaders themselves though he himself never expressed any intention so far to go to Lok Sabha. While Sarvey announced he would seek re-election from Malkajgiri and also exuded confidence that he would win by a margin of five lakh votes, three senior TDP MLAs - Mothkupalli Narasimhulu, Errabilli Dayakar Rao and A Revanth Reddy - are also lobbying for a ticket here. Bureaucrat-turned-politician Jayaprakash Narayan, who is currently an MLA from Kukatpally segment, announced he would contest the Lok Sabha election this time and has already started campaigning in Malkajgiri. He hopes the seat will fall in his kitty as part of the alliance with TDP and BJP. JP's candidature is being opposed by the TDP aspirants on the ground that he is a "non-local". Ironically, it is the "non-locals" who can make or mar the chances of a candidate here. Of the seven Assembly segments under Malkajgiri, Kukatpally and Malkajgiri (Assembly) have a predominant population of Seemaandhra voters while segments like L B Nagar and Uppal too have sizeable number of them. Secunderabad Cantonment is a "cosmopolitan" segment with a large number of non-Telangana voters. 
Given such voter profile, the non-local argument may not hold water in Malkajgiri. The TRS chief has decided to contest the Assembly election from Gajwel in Medak district and as a second option is said to be eyeing Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat. There is, however, no official word yet from the TRS on Malkajgiri though the speculation is rife that he is also considering Bhuvanagiri as an alternative. The Jana Sena founder is expected to announce his political plans at a public meeting in Visakhapatnam tomorrow and also clear the air over his electoral battle. If the Jana Sena too joins the proposed TDP-BJP-Lok Satta alliance, Pawan may make way for JP in Malkagiri. As of now, the scene remains hazy and some clarity is expected by April 2 when notification for the polls will be issued.