Caste dynamics and former friendship to influence Warangal election result
The Hindu
Warangal, rich in history and culture, is a political battleground with diverse candidates vying for the Lok Sabha seat.
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.