Telangana: Battle lines drawn for MLC polls

Hyderabad: With the last date to file nominations for the election to two MLC seats under the graduates' constituencies coming to an end on Tuesday, the main political parties - TRS, BJP and Congress have geared up for intensified poll campaigns.

The opposition parties want to corner the government on issues like pending PRC for government employees and delayed job notification. The opposition feels that this would be a major issue during the entire campaign and the government will have a tough time to explain its stand and convince the voters.

They claim that it would not be possible for the government to announce and implement PRC till all elections, including the by-election to the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency, are over. Employees are frustrated over the delay, they add. The opposition BJP and Congress are pinning all hopes that they would be the beneficiaries of the anti-incumbency votes.

Ground reports indicate that the fight is going to be a tough one for the ruling party.In Nalgonda – Warangal – Khammam graduates' constituency, Telangana Jana Samithi president Prof M Kodandaram, Rani Rudramma of Yuva Telangana and left candidate Jayasaradhi have intensified their campaign.

TRS senior leaders from the poll bound districts while exuding confidence that they would win the elections even if the majority goes down however admit that at the moment they are facing an uphill task. They are putting in best of their efforts to convince the voters regarding the reasons for delay in PRC and filling of vacant jobs. Teaching staff in the private schools and colleges were also angry with the government as a good number of them had lost jobs during the corona pandemic last year. Unlike in general constituencies, in these elections all parties have a tough time since the voters are graduates and money factor may not be that effective.

The sitting MLC from Nalgonda segment P Rajeswar Reddy has been facing the heat from the unemployed youth during the local public meetings. Hyderabad segment candidate Surabhi Vani Devi, who is a new entrant in electoral politics, is relying more on the popularity of her father and former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. The BJP leadership on the other hand has been holding direct contact programmes with voters in the districts.

The major challenge for the party is regarding Nalgonda graduates' constituency candidate G Premender Reddy as he is facing tough competition from Prof Kodandaram, Rani Rudramma Reddy, Cheruku Sudhakar Reddy and Teenmar Mallanna. Telangana Congress candidates from Nalgonda and Hyderabad segments Ramulu Naik and G Chinna Reddy are already making all-out efforts to reach out to every voter but the group politics in the Congress may affect the winning chances.

Former MLC Prof K Nageshwar independent candidate had won twice in the past from Hyderabad – Warangal – Mahbubnagar graduates' segment and will be giving a tough fight to his rivals from TRS, BJP and Congress.