ALL EYES ON THREE

In the VIP constituencies of Kamareddy, Sircilla and Gajwel, the BJP seems to be making the maximum noise

- RAHUL DEVULAPALLI

On entering Kamareddy town, it feels as though Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is personally welcoming you the cutouts are everywhere. A campaign van in BRS pink zooms past, blasting a party song. KCR, evidently the most popular politician in Telangana, is contesting from Kamareddy for the first time; his other seat is his traditional constituency of Gajwel.

On the terrace of an unassuming house in Kamareddy's NGOs Colony is a beedi-rolling unit. Thousands across the constituency work in the sector. "This occupation affects our health," said Rajeshwari, head of the women-only unit. "Almost all of us have severe back pain, difficulty moving our fingers and breathing issues."

But that is not the most serious problem the women are facing. In almost every household here, there is a rift between the young and the old. "These people are happily lapping up ₹2,000 pension and trading it for our precious youth," said her daughter, Shruthi, pointing at the women. The BRS government gives a monthly pension to beedi workers, the elderly and the handicapped, which has in turn given the party a reliable vote bank.

"I have three children who are unemployed and are waiting to get married," said Varalakshmi, another beedi worker. "It is fine if the government wants to scrap the pension scheme. Take back 2,000, but give our youngsters jobs."

The youth, especially in rural districts, have started a campaign within households, telling people that the KCR government was giving pensions to elders in lieu of jobs for youth to reduce government expenditure.