The Hindu : Dissidents likely to join hands in Adilabad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Dissidents likely to join hands in Adilabad

By Our Correspondent

ADILABAD, MARCH 28. With barely three days left for the filing of nominations, dissidence has surfaced within almost all political parties here. At some places, dissidents of different parties are contemplating a common platform to contest the polls. Ponnam Muralidhar, president of Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Adilabad East District, who was a contender for the Luxettipet Assembly seat along with K. Surender Rao, a former district vice-president of the Telugu Desam Party, and G.V. Srinivas Rao, a former Congressman, have formed a group after the Congress was given the seat as part of the alliance with the TRS. The group is also wooing likely TDP dissidents with the idea of fielding a rebel candidate.

At Mudhole, the former TDP MLA, Narayan Rao Patel, and a few of his supporters resigned from the party after the seat was given to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr. Narayan Rao Patel has since declared that he would contest as an independent. The other option open to him is a TRS ticket for which he is reportedly trying.

At Adilabad, the scene is not yet clear since the TDP has not yet announced its candidate. The 28 Backward Classes Sanghams have declared their intent to field a BC candidate as an independent if the TDP nominated a Reddy. (The Telugu Mahila district president, C. Suhasini Reddy, is a strong contender for the ticket). The Congress has already named former Minister C. Ramchandra Reddy. The BC Sanghams are mulling the candidature of District Mahila Congress president, G. Sujata, who was denied a ticket and the BJP's Adilabad Municipal Chairman, Lala Radheshyam. A few more disgruntled BC leaders are expected to join the bandwagon after the declaration of the TDP candidate to the seat.

At Sirpur, the story takes a different twist. The Congress nominee for the seat, Sultan Ahmed, is reportedly reluctant to accept it as senior Congressman Koneru Konappa had been trying for the ticket for long. Mr. Ahmed has gone to Delhi along with Mr. Konappa to get the nomination changed in the latter's name. The TRS faces dissidence at Khanapur after nominating former MLA Ajmera Govind Naik. Mr. Bhakshi Naik, who has been a strong contender for the ticket declared that he would file his nomination as an independent.

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Andhra Pradesh