Hyderabad: Action is immediate when elections are round the corner as a colony resident in Nagole in LB Nagar Assembly constituency discovered. A resident complained about water scarcity when TRS leaders came campaigning. An aide of the candidate responded immediately and had a borewell dug overnight!
“It was not a meeting with the residential welfare association but a resident who complained about water scarcity. In a knee jerk reaction, the candidate’s supporter got the borewell dug over-night,” said Mr T. Sudheer, a resident of Maruthinagar in Nagole.
Such prompt action may be an exception, but it is a fact that aspiring MLA candidates have been going to any extent to woo voters. The BJP’s Serilingampally candidate signed a bond assuring improvement in the living conditions of the constituency’s residents and several other leaders promised to resolve all pending issues within six months if voted to power. Some politicians have been asking citizens to provide a list of grievances.
Mr Anjaiah, president of the Federation of Associations of Colonies and Apartments (FACA) said cutting across party lines, politicians have used every tactic to woo voters in colonies, apartments and slums in LB Nagar constituency. He said that during the meetings, residents raised issues such as the alarming rise in pollution levels in the area.
Mr Anjaiah said the lakes in the area have become septic tanks. All drainage lines lead to lakes in the constituency.
“Netas have promised to resolve the issue. TRS candidate Muddagouni Rammohan Goud assured us he would resolve assigned land and land ceiling issues and provide free health check-ups if voted to power,” he added.
Mr B.TSrinivas, president of the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, said candidates have been actively participating even in small gatherings to make tall promises. He said that residents were surprised to see installation of CCTV cameras by third party when the police department was already doing it.
“During a recent meeting that was attended by all contesting candidates from the Malkajgiri Assembly constituency, citizens asked what development has been done during their tenure. To everyone's shock the leaders answered that development does not happen due to lack of funds and at times they were directed to resolve other issues. Yet, every leader assured us that they would focus on the constituency if voted to power and resolve every issue in the constituency,” Mr Srinivas said.
Some residents also asked MLA candidates to give a five-year action plan and set up a grievance cell to resolve issues. Mr C.S. Chandrashekhar of the Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Sainikpuri (Green Sainikpuri) said residents lamented the state of the environment they live in. They pointed to the condition of Kapra Lake and the Jawaharnagar dumpyard as problems that need to be tackled. They said the stench from the landfill travels 10 km to residents in areas such as Kapra, Sainikpuri, Yapral and Neredmet. He said the residents also complained that groundwater up to 10 km from the landfill had been contaminated, and sought a solution to managing waste.
“Residents questioned the sanctity of the promises they were given and asked them about current failures and future developments. The even took leaders to task and asked them about their five-year action plan,” he said.
Facing the anger of citizens, Serilingampally MLA candidate contesting on a BJP ticket, Gajjela Yoganand, signed on a bond paper promising to resolve all pending issues in the constituency if voted to power.
