Hyderabad: BRS sitting MLA Thatikonda Rajaiah’s statement on Sunday that he may yet be given the B-form by party leadership to once again contest the forthcoming assembly elections from Station Ghanpur has caused a political stir in this key constituency of Jangaon district.
Addressing a party meeting at Lingala Ghanpur in the constituency, Rajaiah condemned the news that he had compromised and accepted the candidature of Kadiyam Srihari from Station Ghanpur, as also promising to extend support to Srihari in the coming elections.
The sitting MLA explained that as IT minister K.T. Rama Rao had been in America at the time of announcing the MLA tickets, he had gone to meet KTR at the Pragathi Bhavan. At that time, Kadiyam Srihari and other leaders were also present. They all together stood for a group photograph.
“This does not mean I have compromised on the MLA ticket. The party is definitely going to make changes in the list of BRS candidates announced for the forthcoming elections. There is a possibility of my name being included as MLA candidate from Station Ghanpur constituency,” Rajaiah maintained.
He went on to say that KTR appreciated him and asked him to continue the good work in his constituency. He said, “Even though he (Rama Rao) assured a chairman post, MP or MLC seats, I have not accepted his offer. I have informed him that I would like to continue as MLA.”
It is to be noted here that from past few months, the two former deputy chief ministers Rajaiah and Srihari have been making statements against each other. They are also organising meetings to demonstrate their supremacy in the constituency. Both had been claiming that they are going to be party candidates in the upcoming elections from Station Ghanpur.
However, in the first list that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced, Kadiyam Srihari had been named as the BRS candidate from Station Ghanpur.
This came as a major shock for sitting MLA Rajaiah, who even burst into tears in front of his supporters. Rajaiah is the only sitting MLA from erstwhile Warangal district, whose ticket has not been renewed. Instead, his opponent MLC Kadiyam Srihari has been given the ticket.
Though the news of a compromise appeared to have settled the matter, Thatikonda Rajaiah’s statement indicates he is in no mood to give up the Station Ghanpur seat.
