Caste plays a dominant role in the elections apart from the party to which the candidate belongs. Residents of Mancherial who will cast their votes in the byelections on July 27 are in a piquant situation.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti which is dominated by the Velama community is fielding a Reddy candidate for the ensuing by-elections. The Velama candidate got elected 11 times in the last 14 elections from Mancherial seat.
Taking advantage of the situation the Telugu Desam and the Congress have fielded Velama candidates for the ensuing bypolls. With TRS going to the people on the Telangana plank, one has to wait and see whether the Velama dominated Mancherial electorate vote for the Reddy nominee projected by Velama-majority TRS or the Velama candidate put up the Telugu Desam and the Congress.
In 2009 elections, Aravind Reddy got elected from Mancherial on TRS ticket. Now he is again in the fray but without the support of TDP. The TDP candidate for the ensuing bypolls is Gone Hanumantha Rao while Rachakonda Krishna Rao is contesting on a Congress ticket.