BRS Secunderabad MLA and MP candidate T. Padma Rao Goud
Hyderabad: BRS Secunderabad MLA and MP candidate T. Padma Rao Goud is confident of winning the Lok Sabha election from Secunderabad constituency based on the development work, which was undertaken during the BRS rule. He also believes that his personal connection in the constituency, where he was born, brought up and prospered, will give him a lead over his rival candidates.
Excerpts:
Q How is your election campaign going on? What are the major requests coming from the public?
People are giving a positive response to our campaigns. In the past 10 years, they have seen the development BRS did in the city, and the result of that is evident with the state elections. The public is strongly supporting me and the BRS, and they want me to continue developing Secunderabad.
Q. Initially, you had a hesitation towards contesting in the Lok Sabha elections, but rumours suggested that BRS supremo K. Chandrashekhar Rao convinced you otherwise. Why were you sceptical about the Lok Sabha?
I was not averse to the Lok Sabha elections. After winning the assembly elections, we haven’t yet settled in. And contesting in a parliamentary election is a big task as we have to cover seven Assembly constituencies, conduct meetings, organise programmes and conduct door-to-door campaigns. That was why I was hesitant, not because I am ill-disposed to the candidacy.
Q Who is your major opposition in this election?
The contest in this election lies between BRS and BJP candidates. Kishan Reddy asks votes in the name of Ram Mandir, or Narendra Modi. We are asking for votes only on the basis of development in Hyderabad. We have built a monumental temple in Yadagirigutta too, but we don’t have to ask for votes in the name of temples. Our work speaks for itself.
Q How is the support coming from minorities in Secunderabad constituency?
We have immense support from the minorities. There was some apprehension over vote splitting by Congress candidates, but the Congress candidate is in third place in the election and as far as my knowledge goes, even AIMIM is not supporting them. We are getting a wave of positive feedback from the Marwari, Sikhs and Gujarati communities.
Q If you win in the Lok Sabha election, will you bring someone from your family to contest as an MLA in your seat?
There is nothing like that. We will act only upon the instructions of our leader Chandrashekhar Rao. It is natural for a politician’s son expecting to become a politician, just like a businessman’s son wanting to join his business. But ultimately, the decision lies in the hands of our leader.
Q The BRS has received a lot of negativity, be it Kaleshwaram Project’s issues, or general adversity towards the BRS. Do you think that will affect you in this election?
I have been in the public for more than 40 years now, and have been an MLA in 2004, 2014, 2018 and in 2023. In all this time, the majority of the votes I received are because of who I am. Everybody knows who I am in Secunderabad. I was born and raised here, I’ve known the streets and markets for as long as I can remember, and I have been an active participant in the Telangana agitations. The people know who I am, and they know what I did. That is enough for us to win this election.
Excerpts:
Q How is your election campaign going on? What are the major requests coming from the public?
People are giving a positive response to our campaigns. In the past 10 years, they have seen the development BRS did in the city, and the result of that is evident with the state elections. The public is strongly supporting me and the BRS, and they want me to continue developing Secunderabad.
Q. Initially, you had a hesitation towards contesting in the Lok Sabha elections, but rumours suggested that BRS supremo K. Chandrashekhar Rao convinced you otherwise. Why were you sceptical about the Lok Sabha?
I was not averse to the Lok Sabha elections. After winning the assembly elections, we haven’t yet settled in. And contesting in a parliamentary election is a big task as we have to cover seven Assembly constituencies, conduct meetings, organise programmes and conduct door-to-door campaigns. That was why I was hesitant, not because I am ill-disposed to the candidacy.
Q Who is your major opposition in this election?
The contest in this election lies between BRS and BJP candidates. Kishan Reddy asks votes in the name of Ram Mandir, or Narendra Modi. We are asking for votes only on the basis of development in Hyderabad. We have built a monumental temple in Yadagirigutta too, but we don’t have to ask for votes in the name of temples. Our work speaks for itself.
Q How is the support coming from minorities in Secunderabad constituency?
We have immense support from the minorities. There was some apprehension over vote splitting by Congress candidates, but the Congress candidate is in third place in the election and as far as my knowledge goes, even AIMIM is not supporting them. We are getting a wave of positive feedback from the Marwari, Sikhs and Gujarati communities.
Q If you win in the Lok Sabha election, will you bring someone from your family to contest as an MLA in your seat?
There is nothing like that. We will act only upon the instructions of our leader Chandrashekhar Rao. It is natural for a politician’s son expecting to become a politician, just like a businessman’s son wanting to join his business. But ultimately, the decision lies in the hands of our leader.
Q The BRS has received a lot of negativity, be it Kaleshwaram Project’s issues, or general adversity towards the BRS. Do you think that will affect you in this election?
I have been in the public for more than 40 years now, and have been an MLA in 2004, 2014, 2018 and in 2023. In all this time, the majority of the votes I received are because of who I am. Everybody knows who I am in Secunderabad. I was born and raised here, I’ve known the streets and markets for as long as I can remember, and I have been an active participant in the Telangana agitations. The people know who I am, and they know what I did. That is enough for us to win this election.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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