WARANGAL: For the first time in the history of Warangal, a trans person will contest the Telangana Assembly elections slated for November 30.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has given the B-form to Chitrapu Pushpita Laya to contest from the Warangal East Assembly constituency.
Speaking to TNIE, Laya, a resident of Priyadarshini Colony in Ramannapet of Warangal, said that she completed her Intermediate in a local college. Well known for her social service, Laya said that she aims to bridge the gap between the people and their representatives, especially in addressing issues faced by the residents of the constituency.
Laya hails from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, and her family resides in the SC Colony in Ramannapet. She lives with her mother Suvarna while her father had passed away during her childhood. After completing her Intermediate, Laya shifted to Delhi in search of employment. Her struggle to find jobs, especially in the private sector, led her to work as an operator in a call centre in the national capital.
During her time in Delhi, she also devoted five years to the BSP, and she continued her association with the party upon her return to Warangal, where she was involved in social service activities for the underprivileged. Her dedication and hard work resulted in her being appointed as the party in-charge of the Warangal East Assembly constituency two years ago.
To serve the marginalised
Laya and her colleagues in the BSP were actively involved in helping the people affected by recent floods that inundated several colonies. Following this, she expressed her desire to contest from the Warangal East constituency.
Laya’s efforts did not go unnoticed as the BSP Telangana unit president RS Praveen Kumar encouraged her to contest the upcoming elections.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by the transgender community, Laya stressed on the importance of understanding and addressing their struggles. She has started a door-to-door campaign, and unmindful of people’s reactions, she is determined to reach every household.
Acknowledging that her initial voter base of around 3,000 in the East Assembly constituency may not be significant, Laya advocates for the development of SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities in the constituency,
appealing to the voters to allow her to serve the marginalised sections of society.