The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Rival plays `BC card' against Jaipal Reddy

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Sunday, Apr 18, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

Rival plays `BC card' against Jaipal Reddy

S. Ramu

MIRYALAGUDA

Jaipal Sudini Reddy and Vangala Swami Goud belonged to the same party till the day they filed their nomination papers. Mr. Reddy was the AICC spokesman and Mr. Goud, the district party committee president until they locked horns for the Miryalaguda Parliamentary constituency.

In a re-enactment of the last minute drama during the last elections, the Telugu Desam Party encouraged Mr. Goud to cross the floor and pitted him against one of the Congress' most high-profile leaders. It may be recalled that the TDP had roped in Y. Rangasai Reddy Yadavalli, a lightweight Congress leader, at the eleventh hour and fielded him against Mr. Jaipal Reddy, who had also jumped on to the Congress bandwagon from the Janata Dal in the run up to the elections in 1999.

A former minister and parliamentarian, Mr. Jaipal Reddy defeated Mr. Rangasai Reddy by a margin of 52,077 votes, the highest in the 11 elections since 1962. Mr. Jaipal Reddy, however, is sailing through choppy seas this time since his rival is creating ripples by playing the "BC card." The BCs consist of about 65 per cent of the total electorate and the BCs, SCs and STs put together form about 80 per cent. Mr. Goud is now projecting himself as the messiah of the downtrodden. He had unsuccessfully contested the Ramannapet Assembly seat in the 1994 election as the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate and has waged a lone battle in the Congress demanding a fair deal for the BCs.

Mr. Goud spares much time in his electioneering blaming Mr. Reddy "for lobbying for the renomination of Congress leaders belonging to a particular caste" in the constituency. The lone Vysya representative in South India, Srinivas' seat (Miryalaguda) was given to the CPI (M) and the tribal leader Bharaty's seat (Devarakonda) was allotted to the CPI; and another sitting MLA, Gopal (Suryapet— SC) was denied a ticket. Mr. Goud says. "Where is the social justice in the Congress?" he asks. Highlighting the fact that Mr. Reddy hails from Mahabubnagar district, he wants to know why "a non-local" candidate wants to fight from here.

Mr. Goud further argues that "the high-profile and Delhi-level leader'' can not come to the rescue of local people when there is a crisis. Despite being caught in the conundrum of caste politics, Mr. Reddy, who always talks about national and international politics, is unable to come down to the same level to rebut Mr. Goud's allegations. "The Congress has given a fair chance for the BCs and I am not a non-local. I studied in a school at Devarakonda,'' Mr. Reddy repeats in his speeches.

The constituency, which was represented three times each by Bhimreddy Narasimha Reddy of the CPI (M) and Baddam Narasimha Reddy of the Congress, is still looked on as a solid vote bank by both the parties. Mr. Jaipal Reddy's camp is confident of retaining the seat with the help of the CPI (M)-CPI-TRS votes. Nonetheless the alleged inaccessibility of Mr. Jaipal Reddy, even to the party cadres, has also become an election issue. The Congress cadre is reportedly sore over his whirlwind tours to the constituency even in the face of severe drought in the region. The voters here expect more from Mr. Reddy than the transformers and electric poles, which he had generously given away to the villagers, critics say.

Out of the seven Assembly segments that fall under the parliamentary constituency, Miryalaguda, Kodad and Chalakurthy have faced unprecedented drought for the last three years due to non-supply of water from Nagarjunasagar. The farming community is up in arms against the Government's alleged bias in maintaining the lift irrigation schemes on the Left canal.

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