T Harish Rao has been camping in the Assembly constituency for the last few days and carrying out poll-related work. Election Commission has not yet released schedule for Dubbaka bypoll, but the minister is not taking any chances. Opposition parties are in despair that it is impossible to defeat TRS which posted impressive victories in Assembly and local body elections. Huzurabad and other bypolls too reinforced this belief. TRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao, his son KT Rama Rao and Harish Rao often claim that no force in Telangana can defeat them.
Can Harish Rao’s early campaign be seen as a bid to deter opposition parties from even putting up a strong fight in the Dubbaka bypoll or a sign of fear in TRS?
Keeping the seat
The by-election is necessitated by the death of sitting TRS MLA Solipeta Ramachandra Reddy. Typically, ruling party retains the seat in bypolls. Harish Rao who is known as troubleshooter has been given the responsibility of keeping the seat in the TRS kitty. But his early campaigning is seen as a sign of nervousness in the otherwise confident ruling party. Sources in the party say KCR has given the responsibility of retaining the seat to Harish as he does not take any chance. Questions are being raised why the party which never tires of bragging about its invincibility has become so jittery over Dubbaka.
Defeat fears?
Opposition parties say TRS is deploying Harish Rao even before announcement of schedule fearing defeat in the by-poll. BJP senior leader Raghunandan Rao has launched his campaign long ago. He is focusing on the ‘anti-people’ policies of the TRS government, corruption allegations against Ramalinga Reddy’s son Satish, and the group rivalries in the ruling party. Similarly, Congress is also planning to field a strong candidate in the seat.
The situation is not rosy in the pink party. Different groups are vying for ticket. Apart from late MLA’s son Satish, Muthyam Reddy’s son too is demanding the ticket. Amid this chaos, the TRS has sent the troubleshooter early to douse flames of dissent. TRS ticket has reportedly confirmed late Ramachandra Reddy’s wife Sujatha.
