Warangal: MP Gundu Sudharani in the forefront of race

Warangal: It appears former MP Gundu Sudharani is the likely candidate running for the mayoral office. Although it was not announced officially, the speculation is rife that the TRS leadership has zeroed in on party's women's wing state president Sudharani for the post.

It may be mentioned here that the Greater Warangal Mayor post is reserved for BC General this term. The 57-year-old Sudharani filed her nomination from the 29th Division. Interestingly, it was represented by her daughter-in-law Aashritha Reddy in the previous term. In fact, Aashritha was one among the probable who aspired for the Mayor post in the last term.

It's said in political circles that TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao might be favouring Sudharani's candidature to woo the Padmashali community, which has no prominent representation in the government. Warangal East Assembly constituency has a significant population of Padmashalis along with Vysyas and Munnuru Kapu.

Although there was a strong contention from the Vysyas and Munnuru Kapu communities, the TRS leadership appears to have chosen Sudharani.

It may be mentioned here that Nannapuneni Narender from Munnuru Kapu and Gunda Prakash Rao from Vysya community had already shared the Mayor post in the last term. This apart, both the city MLAs D Vinay Bhaskar (Warangal West) and Nannapuneni Narender (Warangal East) belong to Munnuru Kapu community.

Sudharani joined the TRS in 2015 when she was the Rajya Sabha member (Telugu Desam). Later, she was made the chairperson of Women's Cooperative Finance Corporation. She was the Floor Leader in Warangal Municipal Corporation between 2005 and 2010. She also held the post of TTD Board Member (2002 to 2004).

"It's a caste-based social engineering, the art which KCR mastered. It's going to be advantage TRS if his party makes merry in the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) elections," a senior TRS leader told The Hans India, on condition of anonymity.

Although the names of Nagurla Venkateshwarlu, chairman of the State Debt Relief Commission, D Vijay Bhaskar, the brother of Vinay Bhaskar, and senior TRS leader Gundeti Narender also of Padmashali community cropped for the mayoral post, they never got acceptance from the TRS leadership, it's learnt.