Gajwel elections: K Chandrashekhar Rao ‘KCR’ vs Vanteru Pratap Reddy

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, or KCR as he is popularly known, faces a tough challenge in his home constituency of Gajwel where he is squaring off against TDP-backed ‘Mahakutami’ or ‘Grand Alliance’ candidate Vantaru Pratap Reddy. While the arithmetic appears to be favouring Reddy following the alliance, the perception is said to be in KCR’s favour. In the last election, KCR had defeated Reddy by a margin of 19,000 votes. While KCR had polled 86,000 votes, Reddy bagged 67,000 votes.

The small town of Gajwel is located in Mewat district, about 75 kilometres from Telangana’s capital Hyderabad. However, the chief minister has not campaigned much here, a News 18 report says.

Gajwel election result: Winner of Gajwel constituency in 2018, KALVAKUNTLA CHANDRASHEKAR RAO.

Gajwel election result: Winner of Gajwel constituency in 2013

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had defeated TDP’s Vanteru Pratap Reddy by 19,000 votes.

ADILABAD

1: ADILABAD

2: ASIFABAD

3: BELLAMPALLE

4: BOATH

5: CHENNUR

6: KHANAPUR

7: MANCHERIAL

8: MUDHOLE

9: NIRMAL

10: SIRPUR

HYDERABAD
1: AMBERPET

2: BAHADURPURA

3: CHANDRAYANGUTTA

4: CHARMINAR

5: GOSHAMAHAL

6: JUBILEE HILLS

7: KARWAN

8: KHAIRATABAD

9: MALAKPET

10: MUSHEERABAD

11: NAMPALLY

12: SANATHNAGAR

13: SECUNDERABAD

14: SECUNDERABAD CANTT.

15: YAKUTPURA

KARIMNAGAR
1: CHOPPADANDI

2: DHARMAPURI

3: HUSNABAD

4: HUZURABAD

5: JAGTIAL

6: KARIMNAGAR

7: KORATLA

8: MANAKONDUR

9: MANTHANI

10: PEDDAPALLE

11: RAMAGUNDAM

12: SIRCILLA

13: VEMULAWADA

KHAMMAM
1: ASWARAOPETA

2: BHADRACHALAM

3: KHAMMAM

4: KOTHAGUDEM

5: MADHIRA

6(a) : PALAIR

6(b): PALAIR : BYE ELECTION ON 16-05-2016
7: PINAPAKA

8: SATHUPALLE

9: WYRA

10: YELLANDU

MAHBUBNAGAR
1: ACHAMPET

2: ALAMPUR

3: DEVARKADRA

4: GADWAL

5: JADCHERLA

6: KALWAKURTHY

7: KODANGAL

8: KOLLAPUR

9: MAHBUBNAGAR

10: MAKTHAL

11: NAGARKURNOOL

12: NARAYANPET

13: SHADNAGAR

14: WANAPARTHY

MEDAK
1: ANDOLE

2: DUBBAK

3: GAJWEL

4: MEDAK

5(a) : NARAYANKHED

5(b): NARAYANKHED :BYE-ELECTION ON 13-02-2016
6: NARSAPUR

7: PATANCHERU

8: SANGAREDDY

9: SIDDIPET

10: ZAHIRABAD

NALGONDA
1: ALAIR

2: BHONGIR

3: DEVARAKONDA

4: HUZURNAGAR

5: KODAD

6: MIRYALAGUDA

7: MUNUGODE

8: NAGARJUNA SAGAR

9: NAKREKAL

10: NALGONDA

11: SURYAPET

12: THUNGATHURTHI

NIZAMABAD
1: ARMUR

2: BALKONDA

3: BANSWADA

4: BODHAN

5: JUKKAL

6: KAMAREDDY

7: NIZAMABAD (RURAL)

8: NIZAMABAD (URBAN)

9: YELLAREDDY

RANGAREDDY
1: CHEVELLA

2: IBRAHIMPATNAM

3: KUKATPALLE

4: LAL BAHADUR NAGAR

5: MAHESWARAM

6: MALKAJGIRI

7: MEDCHAL

8: PARGI

9: QUTHBULLAPUR

10: RAJENDRANAGAR

11: SERILINGAMPALLY

12: TANDUR

13: UPPAL

14: VICARABAD

WARANGAL
1: BHUPALPALLE

2: DORNAKAL

3: GHANPUR (STATION)

4: JANGOAN

5: MAHABUBABAD

6: MULUGU

7: NARSAMPET

8: PALAKURTHI

9: PARKAL

10: WARANGAL EAST

11: WARANGAL WEST

12: WARDHANNAPET

While KCR is undeniably the most popular politician in present-day Telangana, he is facing a potent challenge from the Mahakutami this time. His opponent, Pratap Reddy, had contested on a TDP ticket last time, the Congress had fielded Tumkunta Narsa Reddy who polled 34,000 votes. Together, the Congress and TDP candidates had polled 1,01,000 votes, a number way higher than the votes polled by KCR.

KCR supporters claim that a victory for him is a done deal and there’s no need for the chief minister to come here and campaign. However, the proposed Mallanna Sagara reservoir project near Gajwel has become a big issue in the constituency and affects nearly 10,000 voters. The villagers who are set to be displaced in case the project gets passed are reportedly angry with TRS and may vote against KCR.