Elections 2014: Too hot to handle
Sources say Chandana pulled out her name as she was not given the team that she was working with
Hyderabad: AAP candidate from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency, Chandana Chakrabarthi, dropped out of the electoral race on Monday as she could no longer bear the heat, both literally and figuratively.
Former prime minister P.V. Narsimha Rao’s grandson, Dr Sudha Kiran, will now be contesting for the seat. After campaigning for almost a week, Ms Chakrabarthi opted out of the candidature citing health reasons. However, sources say that she took the step due to a change in the team working under her.
Denying the rumours, she said, “The summer has taken a toll on my health. If it is like this, just in the beginning, I don’t think I can take it till the end of the month. Summer is not a great time for elections. However, my commitment to the party and its ideologies remain strong and I believe in them. My main commitment was not to become an MP, but to be associated with a good party. Since April 9 is the last date for the nominations, there is time for somebody else to file their nominations.”
Sources, however, cite different reasons. “She quit because she was not given the team that was working with her so far. They had planned to campaign in slums in and around Malkajgiri, but now the team members have been merged with Chaya Ratan’s (MP candidate from Secunderabad) team as some of them are also contesting from the Secunderabad constituency.”
Dr Sudha Kiran, the grandson of former PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and son of his eldest daughter, Sharada Venkata Kishan Rao, will now contest for the Aam Aadmi Party from Malkajgiri. Referring to his grandfather’s contribution as a leader and his new tryst with politics he said, “My grandfather had been a great inspiration to all of us and was an aam aadmi when he joined the Congress. We do not see any of those ideologies in the current Congress party. He always thought of the larger good and encouraged me to join the Red Cross and take up more such activities.”
He added, “It has been 14 months that I have been associated with the party because I realised that clearing politics of corruption would solve all the problems. AAP’s stand motivated me to work for the party. I had applied for Malkajgiri and I was shortlisted, but I was their second option,” he said.
A medical officer by profession, Dr Kiran hails from Karimnagar and has been a resident of Himayatnagar for over 49 years. His progression into the Aam Aadmi Party took place after the India Against Corruption Movement.