Council polls: Warangal gets lion's share

Warangal: Springing a surprise, the TRS leadership named Rajya Sabha member Banda Prakash as one of its candidates for the election to the Legislative Council under MLAs quota. While retaining Kadiyam Srihari, the ruling party also gave a chance to senior leader Takkallapally Ravinder Rao from erstwhile Warangal district. By picking three, Warangal has once again got a lion's share in the six vacant Legislative Council seats that were to be filled under MLAs quota.

Although Kadiyam and Takkallapally have made it to the list as per the prediction, Banda Prakash's name was a huge surprise. Apparently, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's move indicates that the 67-year-old leader is all set to make it to the State Cabinet. It's speculated that he will fill the lone vacancy in the Cabinet created by the ouster of Eatala Rajender.

This is seen as a move to woo Mudirajs, who constitute a major chunk of population in the State. It's said that KCR nominated Banda Prakash to Rajya Sabha in 2018 on the recommendation of the then Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, who also belongs to the same community. That was a huge break for Banda Prakash, who has been in politics for more than four decades. During his long association with the Congress, he was considered several times for the MLA candidate but never got an opportunity. Within six months of his joining TRS, the soft-spoken Banda Prakash, who is also an educationist became a Rajya Sabha member and now on the brink of becoming a minister.

On the other hand, Kadiyam got an extension under MLAs quota. Kadiyam, who held the post of Deputy Chief Minister in the first term of TRS government, didn't get a post in the second term. Since his term as the MLC ended on June 3, there has been a lot of speculation whether KCR would retain him or not. However, Kadiyam's followers kept their fingers crossed since KCR turned to Kadiyam's home for lunch during his visit on June 20. Although some local leaders appeared adamant, Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao reportedly supported Kadiyam's extension as MLC, according to party sources. For former TRS Warangal district president Takkallapally it's a long wait. Although he tried hard to contest from Palakurthi constituency in 2014 and later for Legislative Council under Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates constituency, the TRS leadership denied him an opportunity.