Lok Sabha elections: Kavitha hopes for encore, BJP fancies its chances

HYDERABAD: Apart from being chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter, she is known for her leadership role and good oratory skills. Having gained a stranglehold over the Nizamabad constituency in the past five years, Kalvakuntla Kavitha looks set for a cakewalk in Lok Sabha elections. However, an undaunted BJP is hoping that its candidate, Dharmapuri Arvind, son of senior leader D Srinivas, will upstage his fancied rival.
On the other hand, the Congress is finding it tough as not many leaders are keen on contesting against the CM’s daughter.Former Congress MP, Madhu Yashki Goud, held the seat but had lost to Kavitha in 2014.

This time, Madhu Yashki is not keen on Nizamabad as he is eyeing Bhongir LS seat, which has a large presence of Gouda (toddytapper) community, which he believes will boost his chances of victory.
Kavitha assiduously worked towards making the TRS, which had never enjoyed huge support in Nizamabad, a potent force. In 2009, the party had won just one assembly seat, and bagged two more in the by-elections. That the party won all seven assembly segments falling under Nizamabad LS constituency in the December 2018 assembly elections exemplifies her organisational skills. She has also struck a chord with the electorate. Wherever she goes, she says, “I am Nizamabad’s daughter-in-law. My husband hails from the district.”
And she does not miss out on the “real issues” and reminds people that only the TRS has the wherewithal to resolve them. Plight of local workers, who had migrated to the Gulf, problems faced by turmeric farmers and sugar cane growers, and jobs for youths are some of the issues in Nizamabad, and Kavitha has an immediate answer to this, “I will ensure that a turmeric board is set up in Nizamabad.” She also promises filtered water to all households through pipelines to overcome the drinking water crisis.
A businessman, Arvind, has been working in the constituency for the past two years. He chose not to contest in the assembly elections as he was keen to enter the LS fray. The TRS leadership has distanced itself from his father Srinivas, a Rajya Sabha member, primarily because his son was seeking to contest against Kavitha. The BJP is optimistic about its chances because of “Modi wave and also the ground work done by Arvind”.