Cadre upbeat after BJP fields Ramchander Rao in Malkajgiri

Hyderabad: As momentum for the upcoming Assembly elections gathers pace, BJP supporters from Malkajgiri constituency heaved a sigh of relief following the nomination of Ramchander Rao, chief of the party’s Hyderabad unit, as the candidate. A prominent member of the Bar Council of India, Rao was an MLC representing the Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Mahabubnagar Graduates' constituency from 2015 to 2021.

The cadre was pensive when rumours were that the party was likely to allot the seat to its alliance partner, the Jana Sena, a move that did not sit well with the local BJP faithful. They argued that Malkajgiri was a BJP stronghold and ceding it to Jana Sena would be a foolhardy move.

"Giving the seat to Sena would have been like giving it to BRS/Congress on a silver platter," Kiran Bejawada, a diehard BJP supporter, said.

Adding another layer of complexity to the Malkajgiri Assembly contest is the presence of 'loudmouth' Mynampally Hanumanth Rao. The sitting MLA moved out of the party in September and joined the Congress party, which immediately fielded him.

Rao's opponent is Marri Rajashekar, who appears to have garnered support from labour unions, which is a decisive factor in the constituency. This support can be attributed in part to his father-in-law and labour minister Malla Reddy, who holds considerable sway over labour unions.

The personal and political clash between Rao and Reddy has become a social media spectacle in recent weeks. Both candidates are washing dirty linen in public and are engaged in a no-holds-barred war of words.

The battle for this seat seems to be one of the most closely watched contests in the upcoming elections.