Hyderabad: With just two weeks left for the crucial Huzurabad Assembly byelection, a battery of star campaigners from major parties will be hitting the trail from Monday, further ramping up the tension in the constituency.
The campaign which has been going on for two months was overshadowed by Bathukamma and Dasara festivals for the last one week.
With leaders, cadre and voters getting into the festive mood, there has not been much political activity or campaigning in Huzuraba since last week. From the TRS, the ministers, MLAs and MLCs who spearheaded the campaigning had left for their native districts.
BJP state president Bandi Sanjay had taken deeksha during Dasara and had not campaigned after the conclusion of his padayatra. As October 30 polling day nears, major parties have planned public meetings and rallies with their star campaigners — the Election Commission of India has capped the number at 20 — to boost their party's prospects.
The TRS is banking on party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and working president K.T. Rama Rao, who are yet to hold public meetings in support of party candidate Gellu Srinivas Yadav. The other star campaigners from the TRS include ministers led by T. Harish Rao, party MLAs and MLCs, who are already taking up extensive campaigning for the last two months.
From the BJP, the star campaigners include Tarun Chugh, the party's national general secretary and TS incharge, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy, actress Vijayashanti, state party president Bandi Sanjay, vice-president D.K. Aruna, party's Madhya Pradesh in-charge P. Muralidhar Rao, Nizambad Lok Sabha member Dharmapuri Aravind, Dubbak MLA M. Raghunanadan Rao, former MPs A.P. Jithender Reddy and G. Vivek.
The Congress has listed AICC Telangana incharge Manickam Tagore, TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy, former TPCC presidents N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponnala Lakshmaiah, former MP V. Hanumantha Rao, working president Mohd Azharuddin, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC secretary Sreenivasan Krishnan, MLAs D.Sridhar Babu and T. Jagga Reddy, Seethakka, MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, public accounts chairman Mohd Ali Shabbir.
