Local body quota: Pochampally Srinivas Reddy likely to get extension

Warangal : The election heat is back in erstwhile Warangal district with the Election Commission (EC) setting in motion for filling of vacant seat in the Legislative Council under Local Authorities' Constituency. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which has sway over the local bodies in the region is likely to retain Pochampally Srinivas Reddy as its candidate for the Legislative Council. Although there are quite a few TRS leaders aspiring for the post, none of them are likely to challenge the candidature of Pochampally as he is known to be a trusted lieutenant of MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao. Moreover, Pochampally didn't hold the post full term. He succeeded midway through the tenure of Konda Murali who quit the post following a rift with the TRS leadership in 2018.

In the election held on May 31, 2019, Pochampally thrashed the Congress nominee Engala Venkat Ram Reddy with a margin of 825 votes. The number of votes in the electoral district then was 902, and of which 883 had exercised their franchise. It was a lopsided victory. It was a huge disappointment for the Congress camp which believed that it had the support of at least 171 voters. However, Engala Venkat Ram Reddy just managed to get 23 votes.

This time around also the TRS has its nose in front with the majority of the electorate on its side. The electorate who belongs to erstwhile Warangal district is eligible to vote in the Council polls. Although the EC has yet to announce the final list of voters, the tentative number of total electorate in the district is 1,029, including 60 ZPTCs, 697 MPTCs, 66 Corporators and 206 Councillors. Meanwhile, the Congress, like in 2019, appears to be clueless whether to contest or not as the majority of the electorate are affiliated to the TRS.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior Congress leader said that his party is likely to field a candidate. The BJP's position is no different compared to the Congress. It may be recalled here that although it boasted comfortable numbers to win the Council seat, the TRS leadership organised an 'excursion trip' for the elected representatives of local bodies to exotic locations.