A dream comes true for Naini

My main agenda is to provide double-bedroom houses to the homeless. I will also address the problems faced by the slum-dwellers, protect government lands from encroachment.

Warangal: It was a dream come true for Naini Rajender Reddy, the MLA-elect from the Warangal West constituency. After missing the bus twice, the 54-year-old Naini accomplished his dream on Sunday (December 3) when he trounced his BRS counterpart D Vinay Bhaskar by a margin of 15,331 votes. The margin is handy considering the fact that the electorate turnout is just 56.59 per cent. Naini’s ambition to become a legislator suffered a setback twice - in 2014 and 2018 as he didn’t get the ticket; however, this time around his loyalty paid off. It was enough for him to hit the bull’s-eye.

His political career wasn’t all that easy. His elevation in the party from NSUI president to DCC president to MLA didn’t happen in haste, it took him nearly four decades. He took over as the Warangal DCC in-charge president following the resignation of Donthi Madhava Reddy ahead of the 2014 general elections. He held the party cadres together when everyone was defecting to the ruling BRS (then TRS). It’s not easy to hold the cadres especially when the party wasn’t in power for two terms.

“I am a victim of vindictive politics,” Naini told The Hans India, referring to several cases filed against him, including the TRS Corporator Anisetty Murali’s murder in 2017. Naini also had to face several challenges within the party. But he was successful in salvaging all the hiccups.

In the run-up to Assembly elections, Naini faced a big challenge from former DCCB chairman Janga Raghava Reddy who also aspired for the Warangal West ticket. But the Congress leadership gave him the ticket.

After winning the election, Naini assured the people of implementing the Warangal Master Plan to develop Warangal on par with Hyderabad. “My main agenda is to provide double-bedroom houses to the shelterless. I will also address the problems faced by the slum-dwellers. I will also protect the government lands from encroachment, besides recovering the land already grabbed,” Naini said.