The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : District to see high-voltage triangular contest

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

District to see high-voltage triangular contest

J. B. S. Umanadh

TRS, TDP, Congress vie to prove a point; Congress workers give assurance on Telangana

SANGAREDDY: A keen triangular contest is in the offing in the three Assembly segments in Medak district where byelections are due on May 29. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Congress parties are vying with one another to prove its own point in a changed political scenario in the native district of TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

TDP which lost to TRS with a wide margin in all these three segments during the 2004 elections wants to repeat its 1999 performance when Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao was in the party.

The party which has announced its candidates much before the Congress is ahead in the campaign too.

‘Unhappy voters’

Former Minister and Telugu Rythu State president Cheruku Mutyam Reddy who is contesting from Dommat and Medak TDP president Mainampalli Hanmantha Rao from Ramayampet claim that the voters were unhappy with sitting TRS legislators and were ready for a change. They cite the party’s improved performance in Zilla Parishad elections to buttress their claim.

On the other hand, TRS candidates T. Harish Rao (Siddipet), M. Padma Devender Reddy (Ramayampet) and S. Ramlinga Reddy (Dommat) are confident that the Telangana sentiment vote will see them through once again, without getting split between Congress and TRS as anticipated by the TDP.

Congress has strategically selected two new faces, Anjaiah, a police officer and Manohar Rao, a social activist, for the crucial Siddipet and Dommat segments respectively. The move did not go well initially with the party’s senior leaders.

Some consolation

After all they were expecting the tickets this time, having missed the bus in 2004 elections when the party left them for TRS following pre- poll alliance. The nomination of the party senior, A. Vithal Reddy from Ramayampet was the only consolation for them. The Ministers Damodar Rajnarsimha, Mohammad Fariduddin and J. Geetha Reddy in charge of Siddipet, Ramayampet and Dommat respectively have been camping in the three segments, working out strategies for the victory of the party candidates.

Difference

Compared to 2004 elections, a significant difference this time is that all the three political parties are singing the Telangana song. While the TDP candidates have no qualms in displaying Jai Telangana banners, saying they were not opposed, the Congress workers are spreading the message that Telangana will be a reality by 2009.

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