BJP's Aroori banks on Modi wave and his own popularity to secure Warangal seat
Though he switched his loyalty from the BRS to the BJP just over a month ago, Aroori Ramesh is confident of securing the Warangal Lok Sabha seat. Despite being a newcomer to the saffron party, he is well-known in the political circles as well as among the people in the erstwhile Warangal district.
He contested unsuccessfully in the 2009 Assembly elections from Station Ghanpur constituency on the Praja Rajyam Party ticket in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
After formation of Telangana, he joined the TRS (now BRS) and was elected twice as the MLA of SC-reserved segment of Wardhannapet. In an exclusive chat with the TNIE’s U Mahesh, Ramesh says that he has been a servant of the people of Warangal, and that the Modi wave as well as his own popularity will help him secure the Warangal seat.
Excerpts from the interview
The people of Wardhannapet did not support you in the 2023 Assembly elections. What makes you think that the voters will support you in the Lok Sabha elections?
The voters have realised that they made a mistake by not electing me in the Assembly polls. But they are now ready to correct that mistake. They have decided to help me secure the Warangal LS seat.
But the BJP is not strong in the Warangal constituency...
You have to remember that the BJP has done reasonably well in the previous elections, including Wardhannapet Assembly segment. In the recent Assembly elections too, the BJP candidate (Errabelli Pradeep Kumar Rao) finished second in the Warangal East constituency (the seat was won by Konda Surekha of the Congress). This shows that the BJP’s vote share has been increasing here in all the Assembly segments that fall under the Warangal Lok Sabha segment. Then there is the Modi wave sweeping across the country. The people of Warangal constituency are ready to extend their support the BJP. I am sure we are going to win this seat.
Are you confident of winning the seat with a big margin?
I have been a servant of the people of Warangal. People know the good work I have done both as a legislator and through the trust we established in memory of my father. I know the people are eagerly waiting for the all-important day to cast their votes in my favour. I’m confident of winning the Warangal seat with more than 1.5 lakh majority.
Though the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) has announced its support to you, your rivals claim that the Madigas are not behind the BJP.
They are making false claims and allegations. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on SC sub-categorisation, all the Madigas decided to support the BJP. The Congress and BRS are now scared. That’s why they have started this false propaganda, claiming that the Madigas are against the BJP. But the reality is that all the Madigas are supporting our party.
Why did you change your loyalties from the BRS to the BJP even though K Chandrasekhar Rao offered the Lok Sabha election ticket to you?
I made a mistake in the Assembly elections. I didn’t want to repeat that mistake. That’s why I quit the BRS. KCR, before offering the ticket to me, played a political game with the others aspirants. Several party leaders suggested the ticket be given to a Madiga leader but he gave it to Kadiyam Kavya (daughter of Kadiyam Srihari), who belongs to Bindla sub-caste. That apart, I have decided to join the BJP to serve the Madiga community.