ADILABAD: The Congress, BJP and leaders of Adivasi organisations have extended their support to Independent candidate Pendur Pushparani in the Adilabad local body MLC elections.
Though the ruling TRS has a majority, sources say that the party is planning to move their MPTCs, ZPTCs, and municipal ward councillors to various places of Maharashtra to prevent poaching of votes. Its ally AIMIM, however, has not announced support to the TRS or the Adivasi candidate. Sources from the party say that it is discreetly backing Pushparani.
Adivasi Hakulla Porata Samithi (Thuddum Debba) district president Goddam Ganesh said that they would meet all the political party leaders, including those of the ruling party, and appeal to them to support the Independent candidate.
“Even after seven decades of Independence, not one party has allotted Rajya Sabha and MLC seats the Adivasi community in the State,” he said. Adivasis have been condemning the State’s ‘lacklustre’ approach in resolving the podu lands issue and this could be one of the reasons why they refused to withdraw Pushparani’s candidature despite the TRS pressure.