Telangana: Ruling TRS and rivals go all out in poll campaign for Legislative Council seats

Hyderabad, Mar 09: The campaigning for the March 14 poll to the Telangana Legislative Council from two Graduates' constituencies almost resembles that of an assembly election with the three major parties -- ruling TRS, opposition BJP and Congress -- making a determined bid to win.

Having suffered unexpected losses in the bypoll to Dubbak assembly constituency and Hyderabad civic polls late last year, the TRS is keen on securing the two seats -- Khammam- Nalgonda-Warangal and Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar Graduates' constituencies.

In a surprise move, the party has fielded former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao's daughter S Vani Devi, an educationist, from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar seat to take on sitting MLC and BJP candidate N Ramachander Rao.

TRS Working President and state IT, Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other ministers have addressed various meetings to drum up support for Vani Devi's candidature.

The TRS leaders seek votes, alleging that the NDA government has not implemented the assurances given to Telangana at the time of bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2014 even as they highlight the credentials of Vani Devi, who was a lecturer and founded academic institutions. BJP's Ramachander Rao, a senior lawyer, is also leaving no stone unturned for his victory.

Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy and BJP OBC Morcha's national president K Laxman have campaigned in favour of their party candidate. As part of his efforts to take on Vani Devi, Ramachander Rao on Monday met her uncle P V Manohar Rao, a younger brother of late Narasimha Rao and took his blessings.

Congress has fielded former minister G Chinna Reddy and has argued that TRS has no right to seek votes in the name of Narasimha Rao as the former PM was a Congressman all his life. State Congress president and MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged on Monday that TRS leaders were intimidating people to vote for their party candidate. The voters were being pressurised to take an oath that they would vote for TRS in the polls, he alleged.

The PCC president claimed that Congress has videos of such illegal oath taking events and these were being submitted to the Election Commission of India, seeking action.

TDP's Telangana unit president L Ramana and former MLC Professor K Nageshwar, a prominent analyst, are also in the fray from the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar seat.

In the Khammam-Nalgonda-Warangal seat, sitting MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy is the TRS nominee,while his Congress rival is Ramulu Naik. BJP has fielded its leader G Premender Reddy.