Scholars in race for Warangal Lok Sabha ticket

Warangal: Emphasising the fact that politics should be viewed as a profession that requires leaders to be learned to hold a position in the government, a host of highly educated candidates affiliated to different parties have set their eyes on Warangal (SC) Lok Sabha seat and test their luck in the ensuing elections to the Parliament.

Although it’s too early to predict the nominee of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), in the race for ticket are sitting MP Pasunuri Dayakar and All India Universities Employees Confederation (AIUEC) vice-president Dr Pulla Srinivas.

Even though the TRS leadership had announced that it would retain the sitting MPs for the forthcoming Parliament elections, speculation is rife that there would be a change or two. The party may not stick to the same strategy that it adopted in the Assembly elections where it had fielded maximum number of sitting MLAs.

Against this backdrop, the grapevine is that the leadership is likely to field new candidates from both Warangal and Mahabubabad seats currently represented by Pasunuri Dayakar and Prof Azmeera Seetharam Naik respectively. In such a scenario, Dr Pulla Srinivas, who did PhD in Public Administration besides holding multiple postgraduate degrees, seems to be in the forefront of ticket race.

Srinivas, who led several trade union movements initially as a Left-Wing ideologist, switched over to TRS a few years ago. Since then he has been doing his best to promote the TRS government’s programmes through his books. Telangana Prabhutva Palana (Reforms - Welfare – Development); Management of Watershed Programmes in Telangana are some of the books that highlighted the ground reality in the State.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Pulla Srinivas said: “My long-time association with the trade unions, distressed sections and employees is my forte. I am hopeful of getting TRS ticket if at all the TRS leadership wants a change in the candidature for Warangal Lok Sabha seat.”

On the other hand, TPCC general secretary Koturi Manavatha Roy appears to be a strong candidate from the Congress. Apart from him, the Congress State leadership has also shortlisted former MP Sircilla Rajaiah and MRPS founder president Manda Krishna Madiga. Although Manavatha Roy hails from Khammam district, his wife Sucharitha belongs to Kasibugga area of Warangal.

It’s said that Roy, who narrowly missed Sathupalli Assembly ticket due to alliance with the TDP in recent elections, is in the good books of TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and AICC in-charge of Telangana affairs RC Khuntia. Roy, a PhD scholar from Osmania University, began his political career with the NSUI. “I have faith in the Congress leadership that it would give prominence to the loyalists. I extensively have links with the locals and student organisations that would be handy if I get Warangal Lok Sabha ticket,” Manavatha Roy said.

Sircilla Rajaiah, who had to make way for Sarve Satyanarayana to contest in the 2015 by-poll due to a criminal case, is back in hunt for the ticket. Rajaiah, who has links with some senior leaders of the party, is confident of getting the party ticket.

Senior leader and TPCC SC Cell vice-president Pasula Yaka Swamy, a PhD holder and an advocate, is also in the race for the Congress ticket. Swamy who also holds multiple degrees to his credit is also seriously pursuing the Congress leadership for ticket.

It may be noted here that sitting MP Pasunuri Dayakar, who modelled Telangana Thalli sculpture, holds Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from JNTU, Hyderabad. Considering the candidates’ high qualifications, it’s going to be a scholarly contest for Warangal Lok Sabha seat.