He has taken on the outlawed Maoists head on, challenging their might in the early 90s in the Naxal-hit Sirikonda mandal and survived two attempts on his life by the former.
At a time when local leaders dreaded the very word ‘Annalu’ (term used for Naxalites), five-time MLA Bajireddy Goverdhan has come a long way and has the distinction of winning successive elections on Congress as well as BRS (formerly TRS) tickets from four different constituencies — Armoor, Banswada, Dichpally and Nizamabad Rural. After delimitation, Nizamabad Rural was carved out as a constituency as Dichpally ceased to be a constituency.
In his seventh straight election, the 69-year-old BRS MLA is fighting a determined battle to retain the Nizamabad Rural seat for the third time in a row. He is pitted against Dr. Bhupati Reddy of the Congress and Dinesh Kumar of the BJP.
Contesting his first election against his political guru Shanigaram Santosh Reddy in Armoor as a rebel Congress candidate, he showed his might. His presence in the poll fray ensured Mr. Santosh Reddy lost the elections. A die-hard supporter of the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, he got the Congress ticket to win the election from Armoor in 1999.
He was shifted to Banswada in 2004 only to humble senior politician Parige Srinivas Reddy. He lost the 2009 elections from Banswada and shifted to Dichpally constituency again to create history by winning the seat as BRS (then TRS) candidate in 2014, the first election after creation of Telangana. He contested again in 2018 and retained the seat.
Larger than life image
His larger than life image among people is basically because of his strong opposition to the naxalite movement. Born in Chimanpally, a remote village in Sirikonda mandal, Mr. Goverdhan was the Police Patel when he declared an open war on the naxalites.
His guts to take on the Naxals when no other leader dared to, earned him a hero’s worship from the common man. Slowly but steadily, he began his political career as a Sarpanch, MPTC and then MPP.
As an MPP, he survived a landmine blast in Sirikonda mandal and second attempt in Nizamabad town when Naxals shot him from point blank range. He managed to survive and had a miraculous escape in a road accident when the car in which he was travelling collided head on with a lorry on the outskirts of Nizamabad town.
No cakewalk?
His foray into Assembly elections in 1994 and subsequent victories from different constituencies stunned political pundits and his opponents as well. But, this election is not going to be a cakewalk for him as the mood in the constituency reveals. He did not mince words and his action of taking on the ‘mighty’ leaders in the party is still the talk of the town. His opposition to leaders like Mr. Santosh Reddy and former APCC chief D. Srinivas is well known.
His rivals, Congress and BJP candidates, are vigorously campaigning and zeroing in on the gap. There is criticism that he has not done much in his second stint as an MLA from Nizamabad Rural constituency. The MLA dismisses this argument though, claiming that visible development in the constituency shows what he has done.
Dr. Bhupati Reddy has gained the sympathy of people as he lost his earlier election and was suspended by the BRS leadership as an MLC. Mr. Dinesh, the BJP nominee, is known in the constituency as a close follower of former TDP Minister Mandava Venkateswara Rao.
Amid the blaring sound of foot tapping ‘Gulabila Jendale Ramakka’ song that has been customised by the BRS in the election campaign for its candidates, Mr. Goverdhan of the ruling party waves to the crowd as he enters Mentajpalli village, about 15 km from Nizamabad district headquarters town in his campaign vehicle.
Led by women carrying Bonalu and BRS cadre dancing to the trending song on social media, Mr. Goverdhan folds his hands to the women standing at their doorsteps as his convoy of vehicles passes through the CC roads in the village. His wife too accompanies him seeking votes.
While the pink flags are flying high everywhere as the BRS MLA tours, it is to be seen whether his winning streak will continue this time too.
