Telangana MLC polls: TRS leader's followers rip Independents canditates' papers to pieces

The supporters of the Independent candidates and the MLC locked horns with each other at the Collector’s office, compelling the police to disperse them using lathis.
TRS supporters seen tearing up a nomination paper filed by an Independent candidate outside the Rangareddy Collectorate on Tuesday. (Photo| Vinay Madapu, EPS)
TRS supporters seen tearing up a nomination paper filed by an Independent candidate outside the Rangareddy Collectorate on Tuesday. (Photo| Vinay Madapu, EPS)

HYDERABAD: The TRS may be strong enough to win all the 12 MLC seats under the Local Authorities Constituencies, but the party is now faced with rebel trouble and the possibility of cross-voting for Independents and Congress candidates.  

Things got ugly on Tuesday as followers of TRS leader and sitting MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy tore up the nomination papers filed by Independents for the Rangareddy Local Authorities segment. They obstructed the entry of Independent candidates as well as the media into the Rangareddy Collectorate by forming a 'human wall' outside the building.

The supporters of the Independent candidates and the MLC locked horns with each other at the Collector's office, compelling the police to disperse them using lathis. Those who had come to the Collectorate to file nomination papers, including a person named Ch Chandrasekhar, alleged that the TRS workers had snatched their nominations away and ripped it to pieces. 

Chandrasekhar and others staged a sit-in dharna in front of the Collectorate, condemning the actions of the ruling party supporters. Later, he managed to file his nomination papers. Now, three candidates are in the fray for three seats in the Rangareddy segment. If the Independent withdraws his papers, then the two TRS candidates will be elected unanimously. 

Who's contesting where

The last date for filing nominations for the 12 seats from the nine Local Authorities Constituencies ended on Tuesday. The deadline for withdrawal of nominations is November 26. The polling will be conducted on December 10 and the counting will take place on December 14.

TRS candidate and sitting MLC K Kavitha filed nomination papers for the Nizamabad Local Authorities constituency on Tuesday. 

Former Karimnagar mayor Ravinder Singh has filed his nomination as a rebel candidate in the Karimnagar segment. Former Minister L Ramana and sitting MLC T Bhanuprasad Rao also filed nominations for two seats in the same segment.

Sitting MLCs Kuchukulla Damodar Reddy and Kasireddy Narayana Reddy filed papers for two seats in Mahabubngar constituency, while Dande Vithal filed papers for the lone seat in Adilabad segment. 

Akula Lalitha, the outgoing MLC, supported the candidature of K Kavitha from Nizamabad, whereas the outgoing MLC from Adilabad Puranam Satish Kumar supported the candidature of Vithal for the Adilabad segment.

 For the two seats in the Rangareddy segment, sitting MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy and TRS leader Sabhipur Raju filed nomination papers. Pochampalli Srinivas Reddy (Warangal), Tatha Madhu (Khammam), V Yadava Reddy (Medak) and MC Kotireddy (Nalgonda) also filed nominations as TRS candidates. 

As promised by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao during the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly bypoll, the TRS fielded MC Kotireddy from the Nalgonda seat. Speaking to reporters later, Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy said that the Chief Minister had kept his word by fielding Kotireddy. 

Fear of poaching

Scared that they may be poached by rival parties, TRS voters, namely corporators, councillors, ZPTCs and MPTCs, have been shifted to a ‘special camp’ in Hyderabad. One of the corporators told The New Indian Express, "We will be in a hotel in Hyderabad for a few days and after November 26 we will go to another place. We do not know where yet."

Congress fields two candidates

The Congress party has fielded two candidates - Rayala Nageswar from Khammam and T Nirmala, wife of Congress MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy, from Medak. The saffron party, meanwhile, has chosen to stay away from the  Local Authorities elections this time

Withdraw nominations by November 26

The last date for filing nominations for the 12 seats from the nine Local Authorities Constituencies ended on Tuesday. The deadline for withdrawal of nominations is November 26. The polling will be conducted on December 10 and the counting on December 14

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