KCR will contest against former BRS leader Eatala Rajender in Gajwel, who left the party to join BJP and won with a majority in the by-elections of Huzurabad.
Published Nov 09, 2023 | 5:28 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 09, 2023 | 5:28 PM
KCR filing his nomination. (X)
The Big 3 of the BRS — president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, working president KT Rama Rao, and Finance and Health Minister Harish Rao — were among a host of party leaders who filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana on Thursday, 9 November.
KCR first filed his papers in his home constituency of Gajwel, where is facing a challenge BJP’s Eatala Rajender, who was KCR’s finance minister and health minister before he was dismissed from the Cabinet on charges of corruption in 2021.
He then joined the BJP and won the by-election from Huzurabad that year. Eatala is also contesting from from Huzurabad.
This is the third time KCR is contesting from the Gajwel constituency. He won the previous elections in 2014 and 2018 elections.
The BRS chief, in the 2014 election, won by a majority of 19,391 votes against V Pratap Reddy of the Telugu Desam Party.
In 2018, he defeated the same candidate by 58,290 votes. Congress has fielded Thumkunta Narsa Reddy as its nominee in the constituency.
Rama Rao, who is KCR’s son, traveled to Sircilla and filed his nomination there for the third time.
While addressing a meeting after filing his nomination, KTR said, “The people of Sircilla and the constituency gave me a political challenge. I won and developed Sircilla with the blessings of people here in the region. I have worked in such a way that the people of the district are proud of it. We are leading in the development of the state.”
He added, “It is believed that they will win back CM KCR with a respectable majority. He won four times as a candidate himself. I will send progress reports door-to-door on what we did compared to other political parties.”
“KCR did not care about caste and religion. When elections come, they say caste and religion. Do we need leaders who are crazy about caste and religion?” he questioned.
KTR won against Kondam Karuna Mahender Reddy from the Congress party in the last elections with 1,25, 213 votes.
After to filing his nomination in Gajwel, KCR, accompanied by sitting Kamareddy MLA Gampa Govardhan and other party leaders, submitted his nomination at the office of the returning officer in Kamareddy.
KCR is contesting for the first time from Kamareddy, and it also marks the first time he is contesting from two seats simultaneously.
Kamareddy is set to witness an exciting contest as the Congress has fielded state party chief A Revanth Reddy as its candidate from the constituency to take on KCR.
Revanth Reddy was a TDP leader before joining the Congress in Telangana. The move to contest against KCR in Kamareddy would cement the perception of Reddy taking KCR head-on even if he is unsuccessful against the Telangana chief minister.
On the contrary, if Revanth Reddy emerged as a giant slayer in the electoral contest, he would have proved his mettle and would be the undisputed chief minister candidate if the Congress gathered enough numbers for a change of regime.
Finance and Health Minister Harish Rao, who has won from Siddipet for six consecutive terms, also filed his nomination. He has been winning the election in Siddipet with 58,000 and 60,000 majority of votes.
Harish Rao filing his nomination at Siddipet. (X)
Speaking to the media outside the nomination centre, Minister Harish Rao, who is also KCR’s nephew, said, “This marks my seventh nomination filing. Despite having responsibilities as a minister, I have treated the people of Siddipet like my family and given them priority. I urge the public to recognise my hard work over the past five years as an examination, allowing them to decide and allot the marks I deserve. I’ve not only met the expressed desires of the people, but also addressed unspoken needs.”
He added, “I want to highlight that some politicians aim for sensationalism and social media attention by speaking negatively about Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao. Just as a newborn finds security in a mother’s arms, the people of Telangana feel safe with KCR as their leader.”
“Whether it’s the pension scheme or Kalyana Lakshmi scheme, KCR has fulfilled promises made in the previous elections. With substantial progress under the current government, placing trust in them is crucial,” he said.
“The states governed by the Congress showcase their dire situations, making it unrealistic to expect development in Telangana under their leadership. We believe that the people of Siddipet and across the state will express their confidence in our party and re-elect us,” he said confidently.
