HYDERABAD: It is clear — Huzurabad Assembly segment will face a byelection, as former minister Eatala Rajender is expected to submit his resignation letter to the State Legislative Assembly Speaker in the next couple of days. As per norms, a byelection has to be conducted within six months from the date the Election Commission of India (ECI) notifies the vacancy for the segment.
This will be the third bypoll in the State after 2018 Assembly elections. It may be recalled that the Dubbaka and Nagarjunasagar bypolls were conducted due to the demise of sitting legislators in these constituencies. While the ruling TRS lost Dubbaka to BJP, it managed to retain the Nagarjunasagar Assembly seat.
However, with the resignation of Rajender, a potential BC leader and six-time MLA, the Huzurabad bypoll will generate much political heat in the State in the coming days. The ruling party has already set its focus on Huzurabad and deputed senior leaders T Harish Rao and B Vinod Kumar to the segment.
The pink party is expected to concentrate more on the segment from this week. Already, the TRS leaders have started listing out the developmental works taken up in Huzurabad and list of beneficiaries of government schemes such as Aasara and Rythu Bandhu.
Meanwhile, Rajender will contest on BJP ticket. It may be recalled that in 2018, the BJP got only 1,683 votes (0.95 per cent votes) in Huzurabad constituency. Even an Independent candidate and NOTA got more votes than BJP candidate P Raghu in the 2018 poll.
But, in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who got elected from Karimnagar seat, got around 50,000 votes from Huzurabad Assembly segment. Meanwhile, critics of Rajender say that Sanjay Kumar getting 50,000 votes indicated how Rajender helped the TRS in the Lok Sabha polls.
It may be recalled that Rajender, during a press meet on Friday, had claimed that he got elected from Huzurabad six times as a result of the support of people and not because of the TRS.
It remains to be seen whether Rajender would retain his seat. However, the ruling TRS has to search for a new candidate who will able to crush Rajender.