The former Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Raj Narasimha is sitting pretty at this juncture as the Opposition parties are struggling to finalise their candidates for the Assembly elections.
Playing a key role in the statehood issue and emerging as a strong leader in Telangana after bifurcation of the State, Mr. Raj Narasimha is waiting for the other parties to name their candidates. In a twist in the electoral scene in the constituency, former Minister and actor Babu Mohan, irked by the attitude of party president N. Chandrababu Naidu switched his loyalties to the TRS.
He was promptly rewarded with the TRS ticket although, the party faces organisational weakness. The TDP is now searching for a new candidate. The reserved constituency saw Mr. Raj Narasimha defeating Mr. Babu Mohan in 2004 and 2009 elections. The former Deputy CM’s father Raj Narasimha was elected from the constituency in 1967, 1972 and 1978 and went on to serve as minister in Kasu Bramhananda Reddy, P. V. Narasimha Rao and T.Anjaiah cabinets.
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In 2009 elections Mr. Raja Narasimha won the Andole seat with a slender margin of 2,906 votes. The Praja Rajyam Party candidate, who secured 5,257 votes played spoilsport for TDP nominee Babu Mohan. After becoming the Deputy Chief Minister, he slowly emerged as a leader of reckoning and was a crucial force behind the introduction of the SC/ST Sub-Plan in the Assembly, which went on to become a legislation later.
Babu Mohan’s exit is surely a shock for the TDP and it is to be seen how the actor-turned politician adjusts himself in the TRS. He reportedly switched sides over the issue of entrusting the authorisation of B-forms in the municipal elections to some one else.