BJP questions TRS nominee’s credentials

Husnabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Chada Srinivas Reddy, who filed his nomination papers for Husnabad Assembly constituency on Monday, is very much aware of his target group, the young voters, who constitute no fewer than 39 per cent in voter numbers.

He is one among the major contenders in the fray along with Vodithela Sathish Kumar of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and People’s Front (Mahakutami)-backed CPI candidate Chada Venkat Reddy. There is an outside chance that Congress might field former MLA Aligireddy Praveen Reddy in what it terms as friendly contest among the People’s Front nominees.

Srinivas Reddy, who hails from Mallaram village under Bhemadevarapally mandal, is well known in local political circle and as well as in Warangal Urban district. His father Yadagiri Reddy was a founder-member of Mulkanoor Cooperative Rural Bank (MCRB). Incidentally, Srinivas Reddy’s wife Swathi is the Corporator from the 45th Division in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation.

In an interview with The Hans India (THI), Chada Srinivas Reddy (CSR) said the young voters to play a major role in the outcome of the December 7 polls.

THI: What is BJP’s poll plank?
CSR: First and foremost, the recent former TRS MLA Sathish Kumar needs to explain what kind of development Husnabad had witnessed in the last four-and-a-half-years. People strongly believe that there is nothing to show for the TRS. That’s what BJP’s poll plank. Telangana may have liberated from the clutches of Andhra rulers on June 2, 2014, but Husnabad is yet to be freed from the lordship of migrated leaders. Husnabad needs a local man to represent it in the Assembly so that to achieve all round development.

THI: Why do stress on local man?
CSR: People in Huzurabad constituency rejected the candidates of the former MLA. Now they rely on Husnabad. While other pilgrim centres in the State were made district and mandal headquarters, Kothakonda, the abode of Veerabhadra Swamy, was not made a mandal headquarters due to apathetic approach of the previous MLA, who was not a local man.

THI: Don’t you see any development in the constituency?
CSR: The road work on all important routes – Bheemadevarapally-Huzurabad and Elkathurthy-Siddipet – is yet to be grounded. There is no action plan to improve irrigation and drinking water facilities in the constituency. It’s a well-known fact that whenever caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao comes to Warangal, he halts at Sathish Kumar’s residence. Such was their closeness. However, the MLA failed to develop his constituency.

THI: What about the chances of Communist Party of India (CPI)?
CSR: Once upon a time (before delimitation of constituencies in 2008), they used to have a hold in the region, but as of now the CPI is struggling. CPI candidate Chada Venkat Reddy says that it this is his last election. This shows how badly the party is placed. CPI’s worn-out ideology is of no help to people.

THI: What is BJP’s advantage?
CSR: This is the land from where PV Narasimha Rao emerged as a leader and went on to become Prime Minister of India. It’s also the land of Sayudha Poratam and Naxal movement. However, the constituency is yet to witness development. The people in the constituency have tasted the rule of candidates from different parties such as Congress, TRS and CPI. I hope this time around, they will give opportunity to BJP. I have every right to seek vote from people as I worked for separate Telangana and faced cases. I question the credentials of TRS candidate – Did he participate in the movement and had case against him.