BJP to field Rao Padma from Warangal West?

Warangal : It appears almost clear that the BJP leadership has cleared the candidature of Rao Padma for the Warangal West constituency in the ensuing elections to the Assembly. According to highly placed sources, the BJP leadership is to announce its first list at any time.

The 55-year-old Rao Padma tried hard for the ticket of Warangal West constituency in the 2014 elections. But the party asked her to contest from the Warangal East seat, giving the Warangal West ticket to former MLA Marthineni Dharma Rao; both the leaders lost the election. Against this backdrop, Rao Padma fought her way to become BJP’s president of Warangal Urban (now Hanumakonda), this despite a strong opposition from the senior leaders.

In 2018 again, Rao Padma was at the receiving end with the party leadership renominating Dharma Rao. Despite these setbacks, Rao Padma is one of those leaders who have a clean image and penchant for serving people. This time around, Rao Padma had faced a stiff challenge from State spokesperson A Rakesh Reddy for the Warangal West ticket. The BRS cadres strongly feel that Rao Padma is a formidable leader who can challenge the might of four-time MLA D Vinay Bhaskar of the ruling BRS.

Rao Padma’s husband Rao Amarender Reddy had actively participated in the Telangana Movement. Then he was associated with the TRS (now BRS).