Warangal East Candidate Selection - A Rigamarole!!!

Warangal is hailed to be the land of revolutions. It has its place in history secured due to its historic glory and also for its scintillating revolutions in the modern world. Warangal could be called Tiananmen Square of Telangana and ground zero for many agitations in Telangana and India. During 1968, while many social agitations and civil rights movements were happening throughout the world we had some similar uprising right here in our own backyard, in Warangal and many other Telangana districts. Students protests and agitations of 1968 have erupted in Telangana for Safeguards that also gave traction to the Separate Telangana movement of 1969.

Warangal’s significance today also still stays the same. In the upcoming elections in Telangana, political parties have taken winning Warangal seats as a challenge. TRS party has put a hold on declaring its party ticket for Warangal East assembly seat due to its significance. They are looking for a candidate who can assure them of victory. There are many TRS leaders competing for this seat. While many local politicians from other parties who migrated to TRS party have secured many posts there is a disappointment that the long-standing Telangana activists did not get their fair share. Two generations of leaders are hopeful that they will get positions or assembly ticket from Warangal East constituency.

In the last 50 years or so, people of Warangal could not choose a leadership that could really bring drastic changes to Warangal because the parties have chosen either non-locals majority of time or chosen someone who do not represent people’s aspirations. The problems only propagated for Warangal. This could be because the political capital from Warangal did not have a say in the State political arena. Reasons vary, and one reason is political dominance of the erstwhile Andhra politicians at State level.

In the recent election, the political representative and choice given to people of Warangal by TRS party in Warangal East was to choose someone who never participated or fought for Separate Telangana. We still have a vacuum of leadership that could really take the wishes of people of Warangal to the leadership at the State. Warangal east ticket aspirants were very disappointed in the last assembly elections when a party outsider was brought in and chosen to be a candidate for Warangal East. The choice of the party put the people in dire confusion. When they went to vote their conscience told them to vote for a party that worked hard for Telangana and hesitatingly they voted for the TRS party candidate who was indulged in police firing on Telangana activists.

In this election, while the rig-a-marole over the TRS party candidate continues party is looking for a candidate who have best of the both worlds - Winning chances and connection to Telangana movement. Warangal being home to many educational institutions and urban employees the party can reignite the demoralized cadre and also excite the educated employees and student sections of the urban population by choosing academician and a Telangana activist. According to some sources, Puli Sarangapani, 1969 Telangana student leader and activist, leader of many lecturer organizations, TRS leader, is also being considered for this assembly segment as he would be complacent and someone with a fair record in the people. His name was almost final in the past MLC elections as a candidate representing TRS but the TRS party chief convinced Puli ­Sarangapani to support the party candidate Palla Rajeshwar Reddy garu in return for a nominated position in the future. TRS Party is looking for a winning horse and is seriously considering his candidature.

Puli Sarangapani has worked alongside many other political leaders for their victory in the past el­­ections including Arreli Buchiah, Chukka Ramaiah, Kadiyam Srihari. He was closely associated with Prof. Jayashankar sir in many movements.