The Hindu : A guru-sishya contest in Nizamabad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A guru-sishya contest in Nizamabad

By Our Staff Reporter

NIZAMABAD, MARCH 30. The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee President, D. Srinivas, is set to take on his political `sishya' and former MLA, Satish Pawar, who had bagged the Telugu Desam Party ticket for the prestigious Nizamabad Assembly constituency going to polls on April 20.

Once a die-hard supporter of Mr. Srinivas, Mr. Satish Pawar, who secured the TDP ticket for the second time parted ways with his political `guru' Mr. Srinivas in 1994 under dramatic circumstances. He took on Mr. Srinivas, who was a Minister in the Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy cabinet, as the TDP nominee and came out with flying colours.

It would be the fourth election for Mr. Srinivas, who entered the electoral fray in 1983 only to taste defeat. He won the 1989 elections but lost the 1994 polls to make a comeback in 1999. Mr. Satish Pawar is fighting his second election after making his debut in the Assembly in 1994 defeating none other than Mr. Srinivas himself.

His nomination for this election brings back memories of the unforgettable electoral duel in 1994. Mr. Satish Pawar, who was the then Nizamabad Municipal Council Chairman, had visited New Delhi to try his luck for the Congress ticket along with Mr. Srinivas. On his return to Hyderabad he managed an audience with the then Chief Minister, N.T. Rama Rao, and sought the Nizamabad ticket. A former MLA, who backed his candidature, ensured that the ticket was given to him. Armed with the `B' form, Mr. Satish Pawar arrived in Nizamabad much to surprise of the TDP members and shock of the Congress leaders, particularly, Mr. Srinivas.

To everyone's surprise, Mr. Satish Pawar dealt a crushing defeat to Mr. Srinivas. He won the election with a margin of over 14,000 votes. But, he could not enter the fray in 1999 elections as the seat was allotted to the Bharatiya Janata Party. But, this time, he is gearing up to fight it out with his one-time friend-turned-foe.

The TDP high command's decision to retain the seat instead of giving it to the BJP seems to come as a morale booster to the ruling party. The TDP is confident that it would make deep inroads into the minority vote bank, which traditionally backed the Congress party. The result of the 1999 election seems to have made the TDP wiser as minorities voted enmasse for the Congress ensuring the BJP's defeat.

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Andhra Pradesh