Ticket race for Warangal East heats up

Warangal: With the Warangal East Assembly ticket is up for grabs; a host of TRS leaders have thrown their hat into the ring in the high voltage race for the party ticket. At least half-a-dozen leaders are leaving no stone unturned to impress upon the party chief K Chandrashekar Rao, besides trying to tug the emotional chord by invoking the complex caste equations that polarise communities.

Since it became apparent that TRS high command had overlooked to renominate the sitting MLA Konda Surekha, all the leaders ambitious of contesting from Warangal East seat carefully manoeuvring their forces so that to reach their voice to the TRS chief. They have already begun lobbying with their political godfathers to clinch the ticket.

Among those trying tooth and nail for the party ticket are – Mayor Nannapaneni Narender, former MP Gundu Sudha Rani, former minister Basavaraj Saraiah, Gudimalla Ravi Kumar, Errabelli Pradeep Rao and Mettu Srinivas. Latest to join the race is Corporator and senior advocate Vaddiraj Ganesh. 

Even though, caste dynamics remain at the core of political equations, there has been an appeal from the candidates belonging to the upper castes – “Why not we?” A consortium of various Brahmin Associations has come in for the support of Corporator of 27th Division and senior advocate Vaddiraj Ganesh, urging the TRS supremo to give Warangal East ticket to him.

It may be recalled here that Ganesh was one of the most probable candidates for the post of Warangal Mayor in 2016. Ganesh has been associated with the TRS since its inception and actively participated in the Telangana Movement organising rallies and protests including that of Mahabubabad incident that turned violent when the TRS activists obstructed YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Odarpu Yatra. He also worked as the president of Warangal Bar Association in 2011-12 besides holding various posts. 

He was also in the forefront of bailing out the people, who faced court cases during the Telangana agitation.Speaking to The Hans India, Telangana Brahmana Seva Sangha Samakya president Vennampally Jagan Mohana Sharma said: “Even the TRS party promised to allocate six Assembly seats for the Brahmins, only one candidate – Voditela Sathish Kumar from Husnabad - was given ticket. Vaddiraj Ganesh, who never involved in any sort of controversy, has all the credentials to contest from Warangal East.” 

All Brahmins Officials and Professionals Association (ABOPA) and other organisations also extended their support to Vaddiraj Ganesh. On the other hand, while the Muslim minorities in the city have begun demanding ticket for Khusroo Pasha, the seventh descendent of Afzal Biabani and the head of the Kazipet Dargah.