Over 200 farmers have filed nominations in Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana to protest the failure of the state and Central governments to ensure better remunerative process for their produce.

Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha is seeking re-election from the seat.

On the last day of filing of nominations on Monday, dozens of turmeric and red sorghum farmers were seen standing in the queue outside the office of Returning Officer to submit their nomination papers as Independent candidates.

With farmers from various parts of Nizamabad and Jagtiyal districts descending on Nizamabad town to file nominations, police erected barricades, deployed additional force and imposed prohibitory orders around the office of the District Collector.

Some sugarcane farmers also filed the nominations. The farmers said their action was to highlight their demand for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and also to voice their angst over the failure of both the Central and state governments to come to their rescue.

Earlier, P. Raja Reddy, a farmers’ leader, had stated that 1,000 farmers will enter the fray from Nizamabad constituency to lodge their protest.

He said the farmers were demanding MSP of Rs 15,000 per quintal against Rs 5,000 they were getting now. They have long been demanding setting up of a turmeric board in Nizamabad.

The exact number of farmers who submitted their nomination papers will be known later.

Addressing an election rally last week, Chandrashekhar Rao had assured farmers that the government would address their issues.

Earlier, Kavitha said that the TRS raised the demand for setting up National Turmeric Board in Parliament. “We will continue to raise the demand till the Centre comes forward to fulfil it,” she said.

She alleged that Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were provoking farmers to file nominations.

Addressing an election rally, she said 1,000 farmers should file nominations from the Varanasi and Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are contesting to draw the country’s attention to the problems of farmers, especially with respect to poor remunerative prices.

Hyderabad: Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing a triangular competition unlike other MP seats in Telangana. TRS is expected to sweep in majority of Lok Sabha constituencies, but has to face tough fight from BJP and Congress in Secunderabad, observes a political analyst. the Two-time MP Anajan Kumar Yadav is in the fray on Congress ticket, while TRS has fielded Talasani Sai Kiran Yadav, a new comer and son of Talasani Srinivas Yadav. On the other hand BJP has decided to field G Kishan Reddy as it denied ticket to sitting MP and former union minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

TRS is confident of clinching the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency from BJP as latest performance in Assembly segments and few years ago its grand victory in the GHMC elections. Moreover, TRS minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav has mobilised the support of all the MLAs in the Lok Sabha constituency and brought party cadres together. Above all, Talasani is relying on KCR image to get his son as victorious candidate in Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. AIMIM is also supporting TRS.

Coming to the saffron party, BJP is relying on Kishan Reddy’s hold in the city and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wave. Sitting MP Bandaru Dattatreya has promised to work for the victory of Kishan Reddy.

The grand-old party in the country Congress is relying on Anjan Kumar Yadav’s local influence and contacts with the voters. Yadav won from this Secunderabad constituency for two terms.

In 2014 elections, BJP candidate Bandaru Dattatreya got 4.38 lakh voters and Anjan Kumar Yadav, TDP alliance candidate, got 1.83 lakh votes. TRS was nowhere near to these two candidates. But, TRS surprisingly emerged as a major force in twincities ever since it shown a splendid performance in GHMC elections after formation of Telangana state. It was further strengthened in the recent Assembly elections.

Hyderabad: Both the Communist parties — CPI and CPM– are for the first time contesting together in Telangana and joined forces after 20 years of separation. The Left parties as well as Congress, TDP and TJS tasted a bitter experience in the recent Assembly elections held in December 2018 in Telangana. Last time, CPI and CPM contested together in 1999 elections held in the united AP and since then they’re working separately.

“CPI and CPM high command and senior leaders reviewed their situations and took feedback of party cadres from the gross-root levels. After considering the dismal performance in the Assembly elections in Telangana, the Left parties reviewed their support base and people’s pulse as what factors influencing the most. Both the parties didn’t open their accounts in the recent elections. CPI and CPM learnt a lesson and have decided to join their forces to contest jointly in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana,” said a political analyst.

CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy and CPM state secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram along with party senior leaders discussed on the future course of action. CPI and CPM have decided to contest in in four Lok Sabha constituencies.

CPM will contest in Khammam and Nalgonda, while CPI will be contesting in Bhongir and Mahabubaad. Howeve, they yet to decide on whom to support in the remaining constituencies.

Veerabhadram has criticised BJP for adopting anti-people politcies. “BJP has failed to generate jobs and moreover, it’s protecting economic offenders,” he said.

Former MP Harsha Kumar used to have strong clout in Godavari districts at one point of time. But now no party is willing to give him a ticket in 2019. However now he made comments that he will float a new political party in future.

Harsha Kumar is former MP from Amalapuram. After bifurcation of the state, like many other Congress party leaders, he also faded away. Even though he got invitation from Congress party to join back into the party, he did not join and he even made comments that he will not get deposit back if he contests from Congress party. Later there were rumours about him joining Janasena party, but that did not materialize. Finally he joined TDP but Chandrababu Naidu did not give him any ticket. He was shocked with the decision of Chandrababu Naidu and there was even news about him contesting as independent. Later, he dropped off his decision of contesting as independent.

Now he criticized all the parties TDP, janasena ,YSR CP , Congress and BJP. He told to his followers that he will float his own party in future. we will have to wait and see if he really floats a new political party

Hyderabad: For the first time in Telangana, five woman candidates are in Lok Sabha elections. TRS and BJP are fielding two candidates each, while CPM has given B form to one woman candidate.

With a mission ‘Target-16’ in focus, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has given B forms to two woman candidates in the Lok Sabha constituencies. Among the sitting TRS MPs, Kalvakuntla Kavitha is the lone woman representative from Nizamabad constituency. However, this time, TRS is fielding one more woman candidate in Lok Sabha elections as Malotu Kavitha is contesting from Mahabubabad (ST). CPM is contesting in Khammam and Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituencies. CPM has allocated ticket to Mallu Laxmi for Nalgonda seat.

BJP has given B form to DK Aruna, who defected from Congress, for Mahbubnagar constituency and Nagarkurnool ticket to Bangaru Shruti, daughter of Bangaru Laxman.

TRS supremo faced criticism for not having any woman representation in the first-term Cabinet. For the second-term Telangana Assembly, KCR has begun Cabinet with only one home minister Mahamood Ali. Two months later on February 19, KCR expanded Cabinet with the induction of 10 ministers. Surprisingly, the Cabinet didn’t have KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and any women representation. Brushing aside all the criticism, KCR has hinted that there would be two more woman ministers in the Cabinet soon.

In addition to sitting MP Kavitha, TRS is fielding one more woman candidate Malotu Kavitha in ST reserved Lok Sabh constituency.

In a major blow to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Telangana, its senior leader and former MP Nama Nageswara Rao resigned from the party on Tuesday.

Nageswara Rao, a member of the TDP’s politburo, the highest decision-making body of the party, was unhappy with the party leadership for some time.

In the recent Assembly elections, he had contested from Khammam constituency as the candidate of the Congress-led People’s Alliance but was defeated.

An industrialist, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Khammam in 2009. He was then one of the richest MPs in the country with declared assets of Rs 338 crore. In December 2018, his assets stood at Rs 113 crore.

Apparently, feeling that the TDP has no future in Telangana, he decided to quit the party. He had called on Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K. Chandrashekhar Rao a couple of days ago.

He is likely to join the TRS and may contest next month’s Lok Sabha elections on the party ticket from Khammam.

Nageswara Rao is one of the last key leaders of the TDP in Telangana to quit the party.

In the recent elections, the TDP won two seats in the 119-member Assembly with one of the MLAs switching loyalty to the ruling party.