WILL KCR’S NEPHEW CONTINUE 14YEAR WINNING STREAK?

SIDDIPET : T Harish Rao, state irrigation minister and nephew of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is hoping to continue his winning streak in the upcoming December 7 assembly elections.

Ever since he was fielded from Siddipet for the first time in the by-elections in 2004 when the seat was vacated by KCR on his election to Lok Sabha from Karimnagar, Rao has won every subsequent assembly election he has ontested from his constituency. His winning margins have only been going up steeply with every election, with his opponents losing their deposits.

In 2004, he won by a majority of 24,829 votes over TDP candidate Cheruku Muthyam Reddy. In 2009 elections, he won by a majority of 64,877 votes.. In 2014 elections, when Telangana was formed, Rao received his highest victory margin yet of 93,928 votes over his nearest rival, securing 72.8% of the polled votes. The Telangana Jana Samithi will field a candidate from Siddipet as part of the Maha Kootami (grand alliance).

In Mundrai village, which was once a Congress bastion, farmers are angry with the TRS government for taking away their lands in the name of industrialisation.

“Yet, we can’t ignore Harish Rao, who is accessible to us anytime and takes cares of our problems. Moreover, there is no alternative,” said 27-year old Yadagiri, a resident of the village.