Satyavathi K Chandrasekhar Rao's reply to anti-woman charge

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has selected MLC candidates with a political strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and in reply to criticism that he did not induct women or anybody from the ST community in the recent Cabinet expansion.

Mr Rao has in a way replied to allegations by selecting former MLA Satyavathi Rathod, who belongs to the ST community.

Two of the state’s 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, Mahbubabad and Adilabad, are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. TRS leaders are worried about not inducting Scheduled Tribe MLAs into the Cabinet, as there are just two ST Lok Sabha Constituencies.

In the recent Assembly elections, the TRS got majority votes in the segments that fall under Adilabad but got less votes than the Congress in the segments falling under Mahbubabad.

In the past, Ms Rathod was elected from Dornakal Assembly constituency, which falls under Mahbubabad. By selecting her as MLC candidate, Mr Rao has given an indication that he was giving importance to women and the ST community. In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the TRS had won the Mahbubabad Lok Sabha seat.

Mr Rao has selected Mallesam, who is the state president of the Kuruma caste association, as MLC candidate, keeping in view Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency.

In the previous Lok Sabha elections, Mr Bandaru Dattatreya of the BJP was elected from here. There are around three lakh Kuruma voters in the constituency.

Yadavas and Goudas also dominate the constituency.  From the Yadava Community, MLA Srinivasa Yadav has been taken into the Cabinet and from Kuruma community Mallesam has been given the MLC ticket. From the Gouda community, MLA K. Padma Rao was selected for the Assembly deputy Speaker’s post.

With a view to win Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, Mr Rao has given importance to three prominent Backward Caste members from this constituency. TRS sources said Secundera-bad Lok Sabha ticket will be given to BCs in the upcoming elections.

TRS leader Dande Vithal’s name is under consideration for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat. In the 2014 Assem-bly elections, Vithal had contested as a TRS candidate from Sanathnagar and was defeated by Talasani Srinivasa Yadav of the TD. He later joined the TRS. Of the remaining two candidates, Mr Mahmood Ali is home minister and Mr Seri Subhash Reddy the chief minister’s personal assistant.