Gaddar's daughter to fight it out with five-time ex-MLA's scion in Cantonment

Hyderabad: Daughters of two influential leaders are set to battle it out for the solitary SC-reserved Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly seat, with Lasya Nanditha — a former corporator and daughter of ex-MLA late G. Sayanna — set to take on Gaddar’s daughter Dr G. Vennela.

Observers said that Nanditha, who won the civic body polls in 2016 and lost the polls in 2020, appears to have a distinct advantage due to her poll experience and public connection, due to her father’s reputation. G. Sayanna, a five-time MLA, was known for his dedication to the welfare of the people, they said.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Nanditha said she aims to carry forward her father’s legacy of welfare works. “The way people have been receiving me when I visit them itself is proof of how they were treated by my father and his team. The trust and hope they have in me has been overwhelming, to say the least,” she said.

When questioned about comments about her riding her father’s coattails for political gain, she said she barely paid attention to naysayers. “Such words, I take in my strife. If anything, they are a compliment to me and not a complaint…My work speaks for itself too,” she said, adding she did not have to take advantage of the ‘father sentiment’ to win the 2016 civic polls.

She said she would bring to life several developmental works her father had envisioned. “The area has a lot of military authority and it was his dream since 1999 to break away from them and come under the GHMC. I hope I'll be a catalyst in helping that happen,” she said.

Meanwhile, the nomination of Dr G. Vennela — the daughter of the late iconic poet and singer Gummadi Vithal Rao, better known as Gaddar — by the Congress took many by surprise.

Observers, however, said she would be a fitting candidate to fight the father-daughter sentiment of her opponent.

Vennela, who holds an MBA degree and a doctorate, attributes her candidacy to her father's legacy of standing against inequality and advocating for education as a means of empowerment.

“Bad drainage systems, improper planning, lack of developmental projects, dearth of small businesses, minority issues stretching from Muslims and Christians to Sikhs and Dalits, and women’s issues are in my sight. I sincerely hope to be their voice and do my bit,” she told Deccan Chronicle while taking a break from a padayatra.

Gearing up to attend another meeting, she said, “I grew up in this area, I'm privy to the issues firsthand. It was only natural that I would dedicate my life to service, having watched my father do that from close quarters. I don't know of another way to live.”

Dr. Vennela seems to be going with the motto of “Vidya (education), Vaidya (health), and Udyogam (jobs)” for her election campaign, emphasising their importance and striking a chord with the electorate in her padayatra.

With the two daughters of prominent leaders entering the race, the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency is braced for a hard-fought battle of individual legacies and political acumen.