NIZAMABAD, February 19: Long considered a Congress bastion with the party having won nine of the last 11 Lok Sabha elections from here, this hot bed of naxal activity could well be in for a change. In a matter of 18 months' internship with Congress, the NRI-turned politician Gaddam Atmacharan Reddy may walk away with the seat giving BJP a foot-hold in this naxal-infested region.Following the denial of a ticket by Congress, Atmacharan Reddy, using all his marketing skills managed a BJP ticket even though he had joined the party at the last moment. The sitting MP now claims that he will win the seat with a margin of over one lakh votes considering his commitment towards the constituency.
Speaking to The Financial Express, Atmacharan Reddy, however, attributed his joining BJP to his concern for the nation and said he was confident that being in BJP he could do what he had dreamt for his home district.
Atmacharan proposes to work for providing safe drinking water, improving health services andinfrastructure like roads and guage conversions etc.He informed that the drinking water project, which he had promised in the last elections, had completed the first phase and the report was being wetted by an international institution. The project, costing Rs 132 crore, is being constructed under the build-operate and transfer (BOT) basis, he said. The policy decision to provide telephone connections for asking Atmacharan counts as one of his accomplishments during the 18-month tenure as MP. The elections in this area are going to be influenced by the sugar lobby because of the number of mills situated here. The farmers have been seeking a fair price for sugarcane for a long time. Their agitation is going to hit TDP most, in Bhodan assembly constituency.
Of the total seven assembly segments Balkonda, Armur, Nizamabad and Dichpalli are considered naxalite effected, where the poll boycott call will have an effect. In the remaining three segments Bodhan, Bhaswada, Jukkal considered to be plains, farmer votewill be crucial for the parties to win the polls.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
