TRS faces Graduate MLC polls test

Hyderabad: The popularity of the ruling TRS will be put to test in the March 16 Graduate MLC polls for Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduate constituencies. After coming to power, the TRS had faced its first test in the Medak Lok Sabha bypoll and had won handsomely.

After several rounds of consultations with party leaders, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday finalised TNGO leader Devi Prasada Rao as the party’s candidate to take on BJP’s nominee N. Ramachandra Rao, who is supported by the TD.

There are nearly 2.90 lakh graduate voters in the Hyderabad constituency, majority of them being government employees, teachers, advocates and doctors. According to BJP, majority of the voters are from Seemandhra, especially in LB Nagar, where there are 25,000 voters, compare to a little over 6,000 from Telangana.

BJP claims that it has many advantages in these elections: It’s candidate Mr Ramachandra Rao enjoys the electorate’s sympathy for losing the last elections; educated voters prefer the BJP candidate owing to PM Mr Narendra Modi’s influence over them; and the popularity of Mr Chandrababu Naidu in Seemandhra dominated areas in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy urban areas.

“KCR’s frequent change of statements on city issues, especially on the fee reimbursement scheme and not creating jobs for unemployed youth will also fetch me the win,” said Mr Ramachandra Rao.

Mr Devi Prasada Rao is hoping that the announcement of 43 per cent pay hike and other benefits to NGOs who form majority of the voters, will be advantageous for him. “There is a lot of change in the mood of the voters now compared to last year’s general elections; there are many organisations that are controlled by the TRS,” Mr Devi Prasada Rao said.

Meanwhile, the Congress too has entered the polls for the first time by fielding Ravi Gupta for the Hyderabad-RR-Mahbubnagar Graduate MLC polls as its candidate.