Rahul to contest from Medak?
Hyderabad: The 'Bring Rahul to Telangana' chorus in the state Congress is louder stronger by the day. Lending their voices to the clamour to get Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to contest from Telangana region, the Women and Child Welfare Minister Sunitha Laxma Reddy and Patancheru MLA Nandeeshwar Goud said that the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family should be invited to contest from Medak parliamentary seat in the 2014 elections.
This, they said, would be a fitting gesture as the Congress has fulfilled the long-cherished statehood dream of the people of Telangana. Moreover, Medak holds the distinction of having once elected the former Prime Minister and Rahul's grandmother late Indira Gandhi.
Sources claimed that the final decision would depend on the UPA government's promise to deliver the state of Telangana before the next general elections.
Three-time Narsapur legislator and Minister Sunitha Laxma Reddy said that Rahul Gandhi's name came up during a discussion of the district leaders. 'All district leaders have unanimously proposed Rahul Gandhi's name,' she said.
Patancheru MLA Nandeeshwar Goud said, 'We have sent an invite to Rahul Gandhi through the AICC observer for the state and are optimistic that he would grant our wish.
Apart from his assured win, the congress MLAs contesting from the district would also benefit. The region would also develop since Rahul is the likely prime ministerial candidate of the UPA.'
Indira Gandhi had contested from Medak in 1980 after the Emergency and won with a huge margin. Many villages in the district were granted schools and several major development works were granted because of her benevolence, he said.
At present, Medak is represented by actor turned politician Vijayashanti who has since been suspended from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Though she won the seat on a TRS ticket, she is said to be keen to contest the 2014 elections on a Congress ticket.
The TRS MP recently announced that she would be joining the Congress. It remains to be seen whether Rahul Gandhi would accept the invitation from the state leaders and enter the electoral fray.
News Posted: 13 January, 2014
|
