The friendly alliance between BRS and AIMIM has caused the ruling party to delay announcing the candidate for the Nampally constituency. Nampally is a stronghold of AIMIM, and securing a seat in the Secunderabad Parliament constituency might be easier. Feroz Khan, a vocal critic, is expected to seek the Congress ticket again.
The BRS’s decision to delay announcing the candidate has sparked interest in the constituency. Political analysts believe that it will be a tough contest between MIM and Congress if Feroz Khan is chosen. The ruling party has shown favor towards MIM due to their friendly alliance. In previous elections, BRS selected K Hanmantha Rao in 2014 and Ch Anand Kumar Goud in 2018, who received 4% and 12% of the votes respectively. The Congress is trying to make a comeback by promising to improve the constituency.
Feroz Khan has emerged as the only strong contender against the Majlis MLA for the past three terms. Khan has represented three different parties in each term and finished in second place. In 2009, he represented the Praja Rajyam Party, followed by the Telugu Desam Party in 2014 and Congress in 2018. Political analysts suggest that Khan’s history of switching parties might be a major reason for his potential loss in the upcoming election.
Nampally was created as a separate constituency from Asifnagar Assembly constituency before the 2009 elections. Since then, MIM has won the seat for three consecutive terms. In 2018, Jaffar Hussain Meraj won with a majority of over 9,000 votes. The MIM has claimed to have undertaken various developmental works in the constituency, but the rival candidate challenges the existence of significant development.
Feroz Khan has consistently alleged discrepancies in the electoral rolls of the constituency. He claims that there are approximately 1.13 lakh bogus votes, with some votes belonging to non-residents and even deceased individuals. Despite objections, these votes were cast in the 2009, 2014, and 2019 elections. Additionally, around 35,000 votes lack a residential address.
Nampally is a mix of slums and residential colonies, with a population consisting of working-class individuals and State and Central government employees. The constituency has approximately 3.12 lakh voters.
