How Andhra politics could influence two Telangana Lok Sabha seats

Ten years after Telangana was bifurcated from Andhra Pradesh, the borders are seemingly not airtight.

Politics in Andhra Pradesh invariably influences some of the border constituencies of Telangana, particularly Nalgonda and Khammam. These areas not only share geographic proximity but also cultural similarities.

Hence, the happenings in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh tend to influence the voting patterns in these constituencies. This is apparent both in Assembly and Parliament elections. 

The Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven Assembly constituencies, of which Kodada, Huzur Nagar and Nagarjuna Sagar show substantial Andhra political influence. 

Past instances

In the 2018 Huzur Nagar Assembly by-election, the YSRCP cadres openly declared their support for BRS candidate Shanampudi Saidireddy and also participated in the campaign. Saidireddy won by a margin of 43,358 votes. It may be noted that the YSRCP and BRS are arch-rivals elsewhere in the Telugu states.

In the 2018 Assembly election, TDP leader Bollam Mallaiah Yadav joined the BRS and won from the Kodada seat by a margin of 756 votes. It is widely believed that the 'secret support' of the TDP cadres won him the election.

In the 2023 Telangana Assembly election, the TDP supported the Congress in these constituencies and worked hard for the victory of that party's candidates, it is said. Kodada, traditionally a TDP stronghold (in united Andhra Pradesh) continues to have a strong presence of TDP cadre though the party doesn't have much of a presence in the rest of Telangana.

It is clear that the electoral alliance of the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP in Andhra Pradesh may also influence the polling pattern in Telangana's Kodada constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Numerous similarities

There are significant numbers of YSRCP followers in the Huzur Nagar Assembly constituency. People of Kodada and Huzur Nagar frequently travel to Andhra Pradesh. They speak a similar dialect of Telugu, and share various customs with the people of Andhra Pradesh.

People of these constituencies are naturally interested in Andhra Pradesh's political affairs. Hence, their influence on the voting pattern in the upcoming Lok Sabha election cannot be discounted. 

Jalagam Sudhir, leader of BRS Pravasa Indians, Kodada, said: "The caste equations in Kodada are also similar to the Andhra. Cross-border marriages take place. For business and other needs, Kodada people tend to visit Vijayawada and Guntur rather than Hyderabad."

Social worker Hussain said, "Before Independence, the Kodada region was united with the Andhra region under British rule. Emotionally, this region is close to Andhra. This is also reflected in today's politics."