The Hindu : Front Page : Azharuddin, Jeevita may take on KCR, Chiru

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Monday, Mar 09, 2009
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Azharuddin, Jeevita may take on KCR, Chiru

Ravi Reddy

Leaders feel Azhar can attract Muslim votes in Medak

Senior leaders feel Jayasudha could be the right choice for the Secunderabad Assembly seat
Leaders desperate to woo BC Welfare Association president R. Krishnaiah, Kasani Gnaneswar

Mohd. Azharuddin

Jeevita

HYDERABAD: If the Congress plans fructify, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Praja Rajyam chief K. Chiranjeevi may have to take on former cricketer Mohd. Azharuddin and actor Jeevita, respectively, and not seasoned politicians. The party leadership has not ruled out springing a few more surprises by fielding film personalities, former cricketers and several influential leaders belonging to weaker sections.

It is seriously considering fielding Ms. Jeevita against ‘megastar’ Chiranjeevi. “The idea is to pin him down to one constituency and woo the sizable number of women voters to back Ms. Jeevita,” a senior party leader explained. In a related development, Ms. Jeevita called on Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday.

Azhar’s chances good

With senior leaders reluctant to fight Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao from the Medak Lok Sabha constituency, the party may field Mr Azharuddin. Leaders feel he could garner considerable Muslim votes besides wooing cricket-crazy youth in the rural areas.

If not Medak, he may enter the fray from Nizamabad or Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency.

The party may not hesitate to field him from Mahabubnagar Assembly constituency, which has 56,574 Muslim voters of the total electorate of 2.4 lakh.

Senior party leaders feel Jayasudha could be the right choice for the Secunderabad Assembly seat due to the sizable Christian population. AP Cultural Council chairman Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam may get the nod to test the waters from Musheerabad constituency having a lot of Brahmin votes.

Actor G. Krishna’s brother and producer G. Adiseshagiri Rao, who is APCC general secretary, may get Guntur Lok Sabha seat or one of the Assembly segments in Guntur district -- Vinukonda, Ponnur or Tenali.

Worried over the MRPS virtually declaring war on the party, Congress leaders are desperate to woo leaders like BC Welfare Association president R. Krishnaiah, Kasani Gnaneswar, expelled BSP leader Nalla Surya Prakash and Naragoni, who differed with the Praja Rajyam leaders and has floated his own outfit.

It may not be a surprise if some of them get Lok Sabha or Assembly tickets.

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