Warangal: Lok Sabha election politics are taking unexpected turns in the run-up to the Parliament elections. The Congress is contemplating fielding Mulugu MLA Danasari Anasuya, popularly known as Seethakka, to the Mahbubabad Parliament seat.
Ms Anasuya recently defeated former tourism and tribal welfare minister Azmeera Chandulal to dethrone the TRS from the Adivasi belt in erstwhile Warangal.
The Congress, which is keen on fielding strong candidates against the TRS is considering several names to stop the TRS juggernaut in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress won four out of the seven Assembly segments that come under Mahbubabad Lok Sabha seat in the recent elections. Of these, three are reserved for Adivasis. Even after Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao and Yellandu MLA Haripriya Naik defected to the TRS, the Congress still has a considerably strong vote bank among the Adivasis.
Except for Narsampet constituency, the other six Assembly segments - Bhadrachalam, Pinapaka, Yellandu, Dornakal, Mahabubabad and Mulugu –in Mahbubabad Parliamentary constituency are reserved for STs. This is the reason Congress needs a strong leader to draw the Adivasi votes in favour of the party.
Former Union minister Porika Balram Naik who previously represented the Parliament segment is also among the aspirants. He recently contested for Mahbubabad Assembly seat and lost to TRS candidate Banoth Shankar Naik.
Though the party seems to have finalised 15 of the 17 seats, the Mahbubabad seat is one among those which are yet to be finalised. The party is expected to take a call on the seat after further deliberation regarding Seethakka’s role in the Lok Sabha elections.
