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Talasani faces uphill task in Sanathnagar by-election
Talasani faces uphill task in Sanathnagar by-election, While TDP is faced with desertions, TRS candidate Talasani Srinivas Yadav is moving earth and heaven to retain the seat.
Hyderabad: The by-election to Sanathnagar Assembly constituency, which is likely to be held in February or March, will prove to be a litmus test for the two main contenders of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Both the parties are taking it up as a matter of prestige and are facing uphill task.
While TDP is faced with desertions, TRS candidate Talasani Srinivas Yadav is moving earth and heaven to retain the seat. Yadav has taken personal and political risk. In Sanathnagar constituency, the Telangana sentiment did not work even in the general elections that were held immediately after bifurcation and the TDP candidate Srinivas Yadav defeated Dande Vithal of TRS by a margin of 27,461 votes.
Sanathnagar constituency is a high-profile constituency in the city. The constituency enwraps areas like Bholakpur and Sanathnagar in the north-west corner of the city to Monda Market and Sardar Patel Road in the heart of Secunderabad. Other areas in the constituency include Ameerpet, Ashok Nagar, Balkampet, Bansilalpet, Begumpet, Gandhi Nagar, General Market, Hyderbasti, Mahankali Street, Park Lane, New Bhoiguda, Old Ghasmandi, Padmarao Nagar, Pan Bazar, Patigadda, Penderghast Road, Ramgopalpet, Rangrez Bazar, SR Nagar, Subash Road and Zeera. There are 2,20,979 voters in the constituency which consists of 1,17,967 men and 1,03,000 women with 12 voters in the others category.
Majority of the voters are non-Telangana voters and this is what makes the task of Talasani more difficult this time since he has switched loyalties from TDP to TRS. Talasani had taken both personal and political risk in defecting to TRS. Being in opposition, it would not have been possible for him to develop the constituency as fast as he wants to. Ever since the constituency was formed in 1978, Congress won five times and TDP won thrice. Former Chief Minister Marri Chenna Reddy and later his son M Shashidhar Reddy had also won from this constituency.
On the other hand, the TDP is finding it difficult to find a suitable candidate. Already three of its MLAs including Talasani had quit the party recently and there is possibility of some more MLAs like S Venkataveeraiah representing Sattupalli constituency is also likely to cross over to the pink party.
According to TTDP sources, Veeraiah is facing a peculiar situation. His political guru Tummala Nageswara Rao has joined TRS and has become a Minister and he finds himself caught between the devil and the deep sea. Veeraiah according TTDP leaders feels that Tummala may appoint officers of his choice who may be indifferent to the opposition party MLAs. Even flow of funds will not be a smooth affair.
Hence, Tummala may try to woo Veeraiah into the pink party. In fact, Veeraiah had in the past thought of joining TRS but backed out as he felt that the TRS does not have much hold in that constituency. Another TDP MLA who is a “CM camp office returnee,” is also likely to join TRS soon. Prakash Goud, Rajendranagar MLA, had called on KCR along with Talasani and Teegala Krishna Reddy but after coming out of camp office backed out.
By: V Ramu Sarma
