High-octane joust: DK Aruna stirs Mahbubnagar poll pot

HYDERABAD: The contest for the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat has turned interesting with former minister DK Aruna of the Congress, a strong leader from the undivided Mahbubnagar district, joining the BJP.

While the BJP had won this constituency in 1999 (1999-2004 term), the TRS won it twice with K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) emerging triumphant in 2009 and AP Jithender Reddy in 2014.D Vittal Rao of the Congress had won in 2004.
The Congress has fielded AICC secretary and ex-MLA Vamsichand Reddy and the TRS which is seeking a hat-trick has been playing a waiting game before announcing its candidate. Though Jithender Reddy is the sitting MP from Mahbubnagar, TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has not announced his candidature from Mahbubnagar so far. KCR is likely to announce party candidates for various LS seats on Thursday.
While the odds appear to favour the TRS, which won all the 7 Assembly segments in this Parliamentary constituency, the equations have certainly changed after DK Aruna joined the BJP. The saffron party is likely to field Aruna from Mahbubnagar. Though she had lost from Gadwal, an Assembly segment under the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha seat, Aruna had a considerable influence in undivided Mahbubnagar district and has alleged that a section of Congress leaders was scuttling her political growth.
“It will not be easy for TRS and Congress, and BJP may spring a surprise,” a senior BJP leader said recalling BJP’s victory in 1994. “Over the years, the TRS has grown from strength to strength in Mahabubnagar and have turned it into its citadel. Though the Congress boasted of strong leaders, the TRS swept all 7 Assembly segments. We are only concentrating on getting majority votes,” Prohibition and Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud, representing Mahbubnagar Assembly segment told TOI. In fact, the 7 MLAs of TRS from Mahbubnagar held a meeting a couple of days ago and decided to work hard to achieve victory margin in lakhs, irrespective of the candidate. “We have left it to our boss to field anyone and we would ensure his victory,” Goud said.
“Muslims who voted for TRS in December will now vote for Congress as a vote to KCR is a vote to Modi. I stand a fair chance of winning,” said Congress leader Vamshichand Reddy.