The Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency, located approximately 50 kilometers from Telangana’s capital Hyderabad, is set for a fierce electoral battle in the upcoming 2024 General Elections. The constituency has traditionally witnessed a contest between the Congress and the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS), but in the recent past, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as a significant challenger.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate Komatireddy Venkat Reddy emerged victorious over BRS’s Dr. Boora Narsaiah Goud by a narrow margin of just over 5,200 votes. However, the election also highlighted the importance of electoral symbols, with an independent candidate Singapaka Lingam securing a substantial vote share of nearly 30,000.
The upcoming election promises to be a close contest, with a diverse range of candidates representing different political parties. The BJP has fielded Dr. Goud, a former BRS member who switched sides ahead of the crucial Munugode bye-election in October 2022. The Congress camp has been strengthened by the support of former Lok Sabha MPs Komatireddy brothers, who have joined the party after being expelled from the BRS. The BRS has nominated Kyama Mallesh, a former Congressman who served as the president of Ranga Reddy District Congress Committee. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has decided to contest independently despite its alliance with Congress in other constituencies, fielding Mahamd Jahangir as its candidate.
The Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency encompasses several key areas, including the Bibinagar All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the NH-163 Kodangal-Bhopalapatnam highway, and the renovated Sri Lakshmi Narsimha Swamy Temple. However, the constituency also faces challenges such as pollution of the Musi river, effluents from industrial activities, and delayed development projects.
As the election campaign intensifies, the candidates are actively engaging with voters, addressing their concerns and highlighting their plans for the development of the constituency. The outcome of the election in Bhongir is likely to have a significant impact on the overall political landscape in Telangana, as the constituency serves as a bellwether for the state’s electoral dynamics.
