The massive electoral victories of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the last two years have not diminished the hopes of the Opposition parties on the Graduate MLC elections that are likely to be conducted sometime February or March next year.
These elections, the Opposition parties see, as the only hope of containing the TRS given the ‘poor’ track record of the ruling party in the MLC elections where the masses are not directly involved.
The massive victory of Congress leader T. Jeevan Reddy from the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad constituency right after the TRS’s thumping win in the 2018 Assembly elections also proved the theory a bit.
However, the entry of Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) president M. Kodandaram has suddenly shifted the focus onto these elections. The TJS has written to all the political parties seeking support for Mr. Kodandaram for the Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal Graduates constituency.
Losing to Kodandaram is one factor the TRS will not be able to digest given his ‘differences’ with the Chief Minister and the party is taking that extra step to enrol the graduate voters before the last date — November 6. A senior TRS leader confessed that the enrolment is focussed at the village level now. The seat is presently represented Palla Rajeshwar Reddy of the TRS and currently Chairman of the Rythu Bandhu Samiti.
The Congress is likely to extend its support, though officially not yet confirmed, Mr. Kodandaram despite several aspirants within the party. “We are confident of winning the seat,” says Srisail Reddy Panjugula, member of TJS Political Affairs Committee.
“Even several ruling party MLAs have expressed their wish of seeing Mr. Kodandaram in the Legislative Council,” he claims.
The Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy seat, which is currently represented by BJP’s N.V. Ramchander Rao is likely to see a keen contest. The TRS lost this seat right after coming to power in 2014 elections to Mr. Rao.
TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao is keen on winning this at any cost to shatter the myth that the party doesn’t enjoy the support of educated sections. It is looking for a strong candidate and is apparently considering GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, who was active in the Telangana movement as a student leader and with personal connection to the voters.
However, senior TRS party leader said the Chief Minister is not willing to reveal any name as of now. The BJP is likely to renominate Mr. Ramchander Rao.
A host of Congress leaders too are eyeing the seat. After the party called for applications 29 Congress leaders showed interest, including former minister G. Chinna Reddy and former MLAs Vamshichand Reddy, Sampath Kumar and T. Rammohan Reddy.
