MLC poll victory boosts TRS morale

For Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the victory in MLC polls in two of the three constituencies in Telangana, has come as a shot in the arm.

At a time when the spirits are down with the Centre delaying a decision on Telangana, the TRS believes that the victory would boost the morale of Telangana activists.

While TRS-backed T Swamy Goud won as MLC from the graduates constituency comprising Medak, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts, another party nominee Pathuri Sudhakar Reddy won from the Medak-Nizamad-Karimnagar-Adilabad teachers constituency with a convincing margin.

Swamy Goud, who is popular all over Telangana because of his active role in the Telangana movement, got 48,470 votes out of the total 58,354. Sudhakar set a record of sorts by winning the election with the first preference votes. Of the total 18,235 votes, he polled 9,324. While this is so, TRS-backed A Varada Reddy in Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal teachers constituency lost the poll. Congress candidate P Ravinder of the Progressive Recognised Teachers Union defeated him by a margin of 2,857 votes. Varada Reddy polled only 6,282 votes, while Ravinder secured 9,139 votes.

The reason for the defeat of Varada Reddy is that he is not popular with the electors. Though Telangana sentiment is strong in the constituency, the TRS has made the mistake of fielding Varada Reddy who owns corporate schools in Warangal. Questions were raised as to how the TRS could back someone who runs corporate schools, when it claims to be against such schools.

Meanwhile, the Congress cornered the teachers constituency of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts. Congress-backed G Srinivasulu Naidu own the seat by polling 8,464 of the total 12,986 valid votes. He drubbed G Simhardi Appadu, fielded by the APTF. The Congress-supported Ravi Kiran Varma is leading in the graduates constituency of twin Godavari districts. His nearest rival was sitting MLA P George Victor. In the graduates constituency comprising Krishna and Guntur districts, CPM-backed Boddu Nageswara Rao is leading over TDP’s Chigurupati Vara Prasad.