The TRS party is confident of certain victory in politically sensitive Siricilla assembly segment. KCR son and Telangana Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) is contesting here for the fourth time consecutively. He is taking on Congress party nominee KK Mahender Reddy who is Mahakutami nominee this time.

KTR has been winning Siricilla segment with impressive majorities in last two elections. He won over Mahender Reddy in 2009 elections with a small majority of just 171 votes. But in 2010 by-elections, KTR got as much as 68,220 majority. Subsequently in 2014 polls, KTR won Siricilla with a majority of 53,000 votes. His followers there now say that KTR’s victory is certain but it would be just a matter of how much majority KCR’s son will get in 2018 polls.

The confidence of TRS cadres is because of a long line of developmental activities taken up by KTR in his capacity as a Minister in KCR cabinet. He has got a Rs. 803 crore apparel park, group sheds for weavers who are predominant in Siricilla. Farmers community is also impressed with execution of a Rs. 136 crore lift irrigation scheme in the segment. TRS activists have once again started going to voters highlighting achievements of the KCR government in the past four and half years.

Meanwhile, Congress nominee Mahender Reddy is campaigning hard in the segment and he is banking on the anti-TRS feelings among voters. He is raising the issue of cases filed against dalits in Nerella incident. Mahender Reddy is expecting a victory because of the united efforts of Mahakutami parties which include TDP, Telangana Jana Samithi and CPI.

BJP has given its ticket to Mallugari Narasa Goud, who got over 14,000 votes in 2014 election. He is seeking to split vote on the strength of the achievements of Modi government at the Centre.

G.Ravikiran