Warangal, also known as Orugallu, served as the capital of the formidable Kakatiya kings who reigned over Telangana and other regions of the former Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Renowned for its exquisite temples and lakes dating back to the Kakatiya era, Warangal was home to the renowned poet Kaloji Narayana Rao, fondly remembered as ‘Praja Kavi’. Additionally, Laknepally village near Warangal city marks the birthplace of former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.
The erstwhile Warangal district witnessed the insurgence of the Naxal movement, spearheaded by the former People’s War Group (PWG), now known as CPI (Maoist). This region has a history of resistance against oppressive landlords and the tyrannical rule of the Nizam, primarily championed by the Communist Party of India (CPI). Among all these, Warangal is also a hotbed for political activity and pushed the Telangana agitation to its peak with its aggressive approach.
Predominantly inhabited by farmers, Warangal is recognised as the cultural capital of Telangana State and a burgeoning educational centre, hosting institutions like the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kakatiya University (KU), Kakatiya Medical College (KMC), and a few Deemed to be Universities.
Established in 1952, the Warangal Lok Sabha constituency was reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) in 2009. Over the years, the seat has seen diverse political victories, with the Indian National Congress (Congress) securing it seven times, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) five times and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) — now Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), clinching it four times. Other nonextant parties like the Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS) and the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) have also tasted success here.
In the most recent general elections held in 2019, TRS candidate Pasunuri Dayakar emerged triumphant with a significant margin of 3,50,298 votes. Notably, Dayakar had previously won by a landslide in the 2015 by-election, succeeding TRS MP Kadiyam Srihari, who resigned to assume the role of Deputy Chief Minister in K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s government.
Following the BRS’s defeat in the recent Telangana Assembly polls, sitting MP Pasunuri Dayakar defected to the Congress, while another party leader, Aroori Ramesh, who lost in the Wardhannapet constituency, joined the BJP in pursuit of a parliamentary ticket. The BJP subsequently nominated him for the Warangal Lok Sabha elections, while the Congress fielded Kadiyam Srihari’s daughter, Dr. Kadiyam Kavya, a pathologist, who is known for her service activities mainly among women.
In an interesting turn of events, Dr. Kavya turned down the BRS’s offer to contest, anticipating a ‘defeat’ under their banner. Meanwhile, the BRS chose Zilla Parishad Chairman Dr. Marepally Sudheer Kumar as its candidate. While Dr. Kavya is a political newcomer, Aroori Ramesh boasts two terms as an MLA and is regarded as a protege of none other than Kadiyam Srihari.
Both Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Sudheer Kumar hail from the Madiga caste, whereas Ms. Kavya belongs to the Bydla sub-caste within Madiga. The number of the Byndla caste voters is negligible compared to that of the Madigas.
The intriguing aspect of this electoral contest lies in who will secure the Madiga votes and the support of BRS cadre, given that both Mr. Ramesh and Ms. Kavya were previously associated with the BRS. Meanwhile, the founder of Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), Manda Krishna Madiga, has announced his support for the BJP candidate Aroori Ramesh. This development poses challenges for Madiga community voters in deciding their preferred candidate.
Dr. Manda Veeraswamy, a founding leader of the Kakatiya University Student Joint Action Committee (JAC) active during the Telangana movement, speculates that Dr. Kavya stands a strong chance of winning the Madiga vote.
Despite Congress’s success in six Assembly segments out of seven within the Warangal Lok Sabha constituency and the defection of BRS MLA Kadiyam Srihari to Congress, an advocate and RTI activist Potlapally Veerabhadra Rao remains skeptical about an easy victory for Congress candidate Kadiyam Kavya, citing various factors.
Social activist Dr. Suresh Devath suggests that the development of an industrial corridor, including agriculture processing units, establishment of a railway coach factory in Kazipet and the allocation of funds for the construction of the underground drainage (UGD) and the Smart City Mission (SCM) in Warangal, could sway voter sentiments. Accusations of widespread corruption directed at the former BRS regime under K. Chandrasekhar Rao, notably the execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), may influence the electorate in the elections. Employees of SCCL in Bhupalpally Assembly segment can also influence the outcome of the Warangal Lok Sabha constituency.
Though Kadiyam Kavya, the daughter of seasoned politician Kadiyam Srihari, is contesting the elections, many see this contest as a fight between Mr. Srihari and his opponents considering his long association with the people of erstwhile Warangal district since he is an MLA who served as the Minister.
