The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : I know the constituency well: Vishnuvardhan

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

I know the constituency well: Vishnuvardhan

Special Correspondent

-PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Heir apparent: Khairatabad Congress candidate P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy interacting with voters as part of his campaign in Khajanagar of Banjara Hills on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, may be a novice in politics but being heir to PJR’s political legacy, he is confident the good work done by his father for the constituency would turn out to be the winning factor in the by-election.

“My father almost fulfilled his election promises of 2004 and won affection and respect of people which is getting translated into warm response during my door-to-door campaign,” Vishnuvardhan said taking time off from his ‘Padayatra’ to talk to The Hindu.

Referring to the Telangana sentiment, TRS’ efforts to woo Muslim votes by fielding a Muslim, Vishnuvarhan says Khairatabad constituency was never touched by any communal divide or clashes. “My father was truly secular and took up welfare and development works never on lines of caste or community.”

The Telangana sentiment did not have an impact on Khairatabad even when TRS was at its peak because PJR had always espoused the interest of Telangana region without discriminating against settlers.

Describing response to his election campaign as overwhelming, he said aged and youth alike, even those from outside city who were helped by PJR were by his side, going door to door.

Will his win be a cakewalk then? “Nothing can be cakewalk in politics and I am not at all over confident,” said Vishnuvardhan. “I know the constituency well as I had accompanied my father in the last election and I learnt a lot from observing my father who would be the first one to rush to the aid of people in distress. Lok Satta may campaign against self-serving politics but how could it brand all political parties and leaders in the same way?

People’s main demands are for housing, pensions, drinking water, ration cards. Many were benefited by Congress Government but there is lot more to do as Khairatabad is a huge constituency, he said.

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