One of the highest Andhra settlers in the GHMC are there in Kukatpally constituency. In spite of settlers, Basthi (slums) voters are also an important factor to decide the fate of the MLA candidates. People got welfare schemes in the nine-and-a-half rule of BRS government, but not all. Even migrated workers from other states of Telangana are affected in this constituency.
Voters from many areas in this constituency say that the migrants are staying here for work though they have land at their native places. A few of them accuse the Dharani portal for being given less land than they have back home, and cents of land transferred to others. One of residents of the Amruth Nagar Basthi, Gouthami said, “Out of the 120 households, we got only 70 houses in the double bedroom scheme. They are saying that after the elections they will allot the rest of them in the scheme.”
Jinkalwada, Amruth Nagar, Samatha Nagar, Goutham Nagar and Bharat Nagar voters are saying that the BRS government has not satisfied all the voters in the constituency.
Raghu, one of the residents of Jinkalawada, said, “My basti residents came here though they have land in their hometown. In the Dharani, we have lost much of the land, as it was transferred to others.”
BRS candidate Madhavaram Krishna Rao has won in 2014 and 2018 elections on a TDP ticket and changed his allegiance to the BRS. He has been hoping that along with the works he accomplished in the constituency, settlers would vote for him.
Congress party candidate Bandi Ramesh, who fought in the 2009 Assembly elections on a Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) ticket from Serilingampally constituency, lost the seat. Then he joined the BRS and later the Congress after he didn’t get a ticket. He is hoping that anti-incumbency votes and rising of the graph of the party may turn the votes in favour of the Congress.
Among the eight seats Janasena got from the coalition, this constituency has dominated by the settlers. Janasena candidate Premkumar joined the BJP in August from the TDP and he switched to the JSP a day before getting the ticket. The party is hoping that Pawan Kalyan charisma and anti-BRS wind will turn to the tide in their favour. Just nine days are left for the polls but the party president did not participate in any campaigning in the State, as speculated.