Andhra Pradesh - Karimnagar   

Rebels stand between MSR and victory

By K. M. Dayashankar

KARIMNAGAR, APRIL 11. The former APCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao, is facing threat from both the Congress and TRS rebel candidates in this TDP stronghold. Though the Congress and the TRS expelled the rebel candidates, Ponnam Prabhakar and K. Mruthyunjayam respectively, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao's job has not been made any easier.

The only woman candidate fielded by the TDP from the district, Gandra Nalini, is far ahead in campaigning and is banking on the developmental works taken up during the TDP regime. Since the advent of the TDP, the Congress has not won from the Karimnagar Assembly constituency. Mr. Satyanarayana Rao, had won from the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency thrice -- in 1971, 1977 and 1980. However, he was defeated in the 1989 Assembly elections by the Congress rebel, V. Jagapathi Rao, an independent.

The APCC media cell coordinator, Ponnam Prabhakar, who had been aspiring for the Karimnagar Assembly segment, was denied the ticket in the eleventh hour. He filed his nomination as an independent, unmindful of requests from the APCC president, D. Sridhar and the former CLP leader, Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy, and is playing the backward classes (BC) card. The TRS State general secretary and former MLA from Karimnagar, K. Mruthyunjayam, who filed nomination as TRS candidate, remained in the fray even after he was expelled from the party. Since he had filed nomination with the `B' form, Mr. Mruthyunjayam has been campaigning as the official TRS candidate, to the displeasure of Mr. Satyanarayana Rao.

To remove confusion regarding the official candidate, the TRS president, K. Chandrashekhar Rao, had campaigned for Mr. Satyanarayana Rao in Gangipalli village of Manakondur mandal on Saturday night.

The TDP district president, Gandra Venkateshwara Rao's wife, Gandra Nalini, who is in the fray as TDP candidate, has the full support of the TDP and BJP leaders.

Initially, Ms. Nalini also faced threat from the rebel candidate and former legislator, K. Devender Rao, who was in the fray as independent. However, he withdrew from contest following consultations with the party high command.

In eleven elections held so far from this segment, the Congress had won four times, the TDP four times, the PDF and Socialist Party one time each and an independent once.

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