KCR contesting two seats, not first time

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Hyderabad, November 23

Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo K Chandrashekar Rao’s decision to fight from two constituencies in the state — his original seat Gajwel and Kamareddy — is being seen as a sign of fear by his political opponents.

One of the issues being faced by K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) in Gajwel is reportedly the discontent of those ousted for the Mallanna Sagar Irrigation project spread over 20 villages and demands by the poor in the constituency for the realisation of the ruling party’s election promise of 2BHK houses.

The farmhouse in Gajwel in which KCR spends most of his time provides no access to the locals of the constituency to share their problems with their leader. This has turned local people against the Chief Minister, prompting him to look for an alternative seat.

Aminul Hasan Zafri, veteran journalist-turned-former member of the legislative council, however, disagrees. Zafri says the decision to fight from two constituencies simultaneously is a “matter of mood” for the CM. “This is not the first time KCR is contesting from two constituencies,” Zafri says, adding that in 2004 and 2014, KCR contested from one Lok Sabha and one Assembly seat each in what were simultaneous elections in the state. He retained the Lok Sabha seat on the first occasion. In 2014, he retained the Assembly seat and became the Chief Minister of Telangana,” Zafri says.

In 2004, KCR had contested from the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat and Siddipet Assembly seat. In 2014, he won from the Medak Lok Sabha seat and Gajwel assembly seat.

Rao is not the only heavyweight from Telangana contesting two seats simultaneously for the November 30 Assembly elections. Pradesh Congress chief Revanth Reddy had won from the Kodangal assembly constituency in 2009 and 2014 but lost to the BRS (then TRS) in 2018. Besides Kodangal, Reddy is contesting from Kamareddy this time where he will engage the Chief Minister for an electoral showdown.

Etela Rajender, BJP member who is an aspirant for the CM’s post, is also contesting from Gajwel, besides his regular seat of Huzurabad. In Gajwel, he will try to upset the applecart of KCR, who has won twice from the constituency.

Rajender has won five elections from Huzurabad, including a bypoll in 2021 won by him on the BJP ticket.