HYDERABAD: For the first time in the history of MLC elections in Telangana, Adivasis have sought for representation in the legislative council by fielding two women from the community as Independent candidates. They filed their nominations on Tuesday and their candidature is supported by Adivasi people’s organisations.
G Sudha Rani filed her nomination for the MLC seat under the local bodies’ quota for erstwhile Khammam district and P Pushpa Rani for the erstwhile Adilabad MLC seat. The leaders of Adivasi organisations claimed that though they had submitted representations to the highest political authority in the TRS, seeking a chance to represent the marginalised communities they belonged to in the legislative council, their pleas went unheard.
“In recent years, we have seen MLCs from the Lambada community, but in the history of 75 years of Independent India, there was never an instance when an Adivasi was nominated either as an MLC or as a Rajya Sabha member in Telangana,” said an Adivasi leader, during the nomination of Pushpa Rani.The BJP, Congress and MIM have extended their support to Adivasi women who were contesting as Independents, according to the Adivasi leaders.