HIGH STAKES ON KHAMMAM

In Khammam Lok Sabha seat in Telangana, it is a clash of high contrast between capitalists and a communist leader, and this is a constituency where settlers in significant numbers from different regions could tilt the scales in no small measure. This is also a segment where Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is not counted among strong contenders for the April 30 elections to the Lok Sabha and Assembly in Telangana. Sitting MP Nama Nageswara Rao of TDP, founder of the Rs 3,000 crore infrastructure firm Madhucon Group, is engaged in a tight contest with YSRC's P Srinivasa Reddy, also a businessman, and CPI Andhra Pradesh Secretary K Narayana. Congress left the constituency to CPI as part of their seat-sharing arrangement. Nageswara Rao trounced Renuka Chowdhary of Congress, which had no alliance in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, by a margin of over one lakh votes riding on the back of his and TDP's popularity. This time around he is pinning his hopes on factors such as 'Modi wave' and Telugu cinema superstar Pawan Kalyan extending support to NDA and Seemandhra settlers. BJP and TDP have struck an electoral truck in Telangana and Seemandhra. "People believe that development of the new state, Telangana is possible only with TDP in power. I come from a farmer's family and am aware of problems of poor people here," Rao said. Bordering coastal Andhra, Khammam has a substantial number of voters from those districts, and they may hold the key. TRS, BSP and Lok Satta have put up their candidates but political pundits expect that the main fight will be among the three contenders. Political temperatures have shot up in recent days as YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy and his sister Sharmila addressed public meetings in the constituency boosting the morale of the their candidate. 
Though YSRCP is perceived as "very weak" in Telangana, the party is eyeing support of settlers from Seemandhra region but there are other candidates in contention for their votes. CPM, which unequivocally opposed bifurcation of the state has extended support to YSRCP. Tammineni Veerabhadram, CPI(M) Telangana secretary, defended the move as strategic saying they would support YSRCP on the grounds that it is "anti-Congress and anti-BJP". CPI, however, bets big on Narayana's clean image, party's organisational strength in some areas and the pro-Telangana sentiment. "Only Congress and CPI stood firmly for Telangana state creation. Since Congress has given the new state there is not much anti-incumbency factor also. Though CPM sails with YSRCP, some of the party cadre (CPM) is still supporting Left ideology which may favour me," Narayana told PTI. TRS too has fielded a candidate, Budan Baig Shaik, who is banking heavily on minority votes in Khammam, which consists of seven assembly segments - three for general candidates and rest reserved for those of SC and ST.