What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
HYDERABAD: The victory of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy in the Kamareddy assembly constituency in Telangana has come as a huge surprise to both the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) marking a significant inroad to the saffron party in the state.
The businessman-turned-politician defeated the current chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao as well as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy. According to election commission data, Ramana secured 66,652 votes and led the polls with a margin of 6,741 votes against KCR of BRS and Congress’ Revanth.
A background check of BJPs ‘Reddy’
Despite his lack of formal education, 53-year-old Ramana Reddy has amassed a considerable fortune. His total declared assets stood at Rs 49.7 crore which includes Rs 2.2 crore in moveable assets and Rs 47.5 crore as immoveable assets, according to the election affidavit. His total declared income is Rs 9.8 lakh of which Rs 4.9 lakh is self-income. Ramana has total liabilities of Rs 58.3 lakh.
Ramana enjoyed immense support from the residents of the constituency stating that he was connecting to most households during the course of his aggressive campaigning. BJP IT department head Amit Malviya took to X to congratulate Ramana Reddy. “Meet BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana, the giant slayer of these elections, who defeated both sitting CM KCR and incoming (hopefully) CM Revanth Reddy, from Kamareddy in Telangana. BJP will not just win big in Lok Sabha, it will also storm to power in Telangana, next time,” he posted.
FLASH: After BJP’s spectacular victory in three states in #AssemblyElections2023, Sajid Yousuf, the Media Incharge of BJP Kashmir, “We’re aiming big with 500+ future seats. Our leadership is dedicated in Jammu and Kashmir. Victories in MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and a notable… pic.twitter.com/dw7mAAR67H
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 4, 2023
Venkat Ramana Reddy, who dedicated his victory to the people of Kamareddy, began his political journey with the Congress and was elected as a member of the Mandal Parishad Territorial Council in erstwhile Nizamabad district during the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) government in 2004. He subsequently went on to become a Zilla Parishad Territorial Council member and eventually served as zilla parishad chairperson..
Following the death of YSR, Ramana Reddy fell out with the local Congress leadership and tacitly supported the BRS (then the TRS) in the 2014 Assembly polls.
A month before the 2018 Assembly elections, he joined the BJP, which fielded him from the seat. However, he emerged as a distant third after Gampa Govardhan of the BRS and Mohammad Shabbir Ali of the Congress, with a 9.5% vote share..
Following the 2018 polls, Ramana Reddy managed to secure a support base in villages across the constituency, known to patiently listen to the requests of the people instead of just promising and providing financial aid. For instance, he personally oversaw the construction of many community halls across the constituency. He also managed to educate the public about various central government schemes by reaching out to them daily.
FLASH : Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao resigns quietly after #Congress takes majority in the 119-member Assembly. No public appearance, just a swift departure from Pragati Bhavan in private cars. Resignation sent through an official.#TelanganaElectionResults
Reports :…
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 3, 2023
Ramana Reddy had spearheaded the farmers’ fight against the Kamareddy town draft master plan. The plan had proposed the acquisition of about 2,000 acres of land in eight villages adjoining the town for development projects, including an outer ring road and industrial zone.
The proposal was met with widespread outrage from villagers earlier this year. Before the election, Minister KT Rama Rao said that the government had decided to drop the master plan. Farmers of these villages wanted the government to look for barren lands instead of their agricultural lands.
One of the major factors that is believed to be a reason for Ramana Reddy’s victory is that he is a “local” compared to “outsiders” like KCR and Revanth Reddy.
The saffron party made a huge comeback compared to its 2018 assembly election performance where it had one seat, managing victory on eight assembly seats.
