TRS student leader Srinivas Yadav to take on seasoned Eatala Rajender

Hyderabad: TRS wants to repeat its success story of Nagarjuna Sagar bypoll, where it fielded a young leader Nomula Bhagath against septuagenarian Congress leader K Jana Reddy and won the seat, in the Huzurabad by-elections too.

Sending clear message that it would be accommodating more and more youngsters, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday announced the name of student's wing leader Gellu Srinivas Yadav to take on former minister and BJP leader Eatala Rajender. It may be recalled that The Hans India had predicted on August 3 that front runner Srinivas would be the final choice.

Wednesday also marked the beginning of a serious campaign. While Srinivas was asked to launch his campaign soon after the announcement, the party trouble shooter T Harish Rao entered Huzurabad for the first time to take up direct campaign. KCR would be addressing a public meeting in the constituency on August 16.

Srinivas has been an active student leader even during the time of agitation for separate state. KCR wants to prove that TRS was still the most popular party and even youngsters can defeat leaders who held sway over their constituencies for six times continuously. It may be mentioned here that Eatala had won from Huzurabad on TRS ticket six times.

According to sources, the Chief Minister took up surveys to identify the suitable candidate. Initially, Kaushik Reddy's name was proposed, but after an audio claiming that he was the candidate going viral and other controversies surrounding him locally, the party decided to send him to Council in Governors quota.

Coming from the BC community and taking active part in the Telangana movement and going to jail on several occasions, has helped Srinivas Yadav to get a ticket in Huzurabad.

There are more than 100 cases against Srinivas Yadav, which were imposed during the Telangana agitation for taking out protest programmes with the students of AV College.

He is also close to the party's working president KT Rama Rao and is seen in all the official programmes of Rao. There are a large number of BC voters in Huzurabad which the party feels will be added advantage. There were speculations of giving a ticket to L Ramana, E Peddi Reddy and others.

Though Srinivas is a student leader he has inherited politics from his father G Mallaiah, who was TDP MPTC from Kondapaka and mother an ex-sarpanch from Himmat Nagar. Srinivas is a post graduate in MA and also a law graduate.