Exactly one year ago, Munugode Assembly constituency caught the nation’s attention when a bypoll was necessitated after prominent Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy quit the party, resigned from the Assembly to join the BJP, and contest from the same constituency but on the saffron flag with much fanfare.
The high-decibel campaign saw top BJP leaders campaigning while the BRS leadership went on an overdrive pressing almost the entire cabinet into electioneering. Ruling party candidate K. Prabhakar Reddy finally won the bitterly fought tight contest. This dashed the hope of BJP wanting to ‘empty’ the Congress as the exodus of leaders into its fold did not happen.
Much water has flowed and there has been a lot of jumping around parties by leaders since then. While the BRS candidate is the same person, Mr. Rajagopal Reddy is back in Congress and is the candidate again. Those with him during the bypoll like senior BJP leader G. Manohar Reddy are now straining every sinew to get him defeated.
