Nizamabad set for high-stake Lok Sabha battle

Nizamabad, Apr 29: The entry of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter Kavitha, the lone woman contestant in entire Telangana region, into the poll contest has upped the stakes in the battle for this Lok Sabha seat where Congress candidate and sitting MP Madhu Yashki Goud is eyeing a hat-trick.

Had Kavitha not entered the fray, the Lok Sabha polls here would not have attracted any special attention. But the post- graduate in engineering, who is making her political debut this time, is expected to give a tough competition to Goud, who is representing the seat in Parliament since 2004. Observers say that the stakes are higher for Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as it is a matter of prestige for KCR to ensure his daughter wins the seat. Kavitha is the only woman to contest in entire Telangana, comprising 17 parliamentary constituencies.

Observers say that the stakes are higher for Telangana Rashtra Samithi this time

Compounding Goud's woes this time is BJP candidate Yendala Lakshminarayana, who is the MLA from the Nizamabad (urban) constituency. The three major candidates are all seeking votes primarily in the name of Telangana, although certain local issues like the plight of local workers who migrated to Gulf, problems faced by turmeric farmers and sugarcane growers also figure in their electioneering. The Nizamabad parliamentary constituency, which has over 15 lakh voters is considered to be a Congress stronghold, but the going is not likely to be smooth this time for Goud.

The Congress MP is said to be facing anti-incumbency with development having taken a back seat here due to the struggle for separate Telangana state, particularly over the past five years. Kavitha's claim to fame, apart from being KCR's daughter, is the lead she had taken in organising Bathukamma, a traditional women's festival in Telangana, at a time when the region was battling for statehood.

She also mobilised women's support for the separate statehood agitation by floating Telangana Jagruti, branded as the TRS' cultural arm, and touring the region while organising Bathukamma and Bonalu, another traditional local festival. "It's in recognition of her leadership role, particularly among women, that the party has fielded Kavitha (for the Nizamabad seat)," said a TRS leader.

PTI