Warangal: Tightrope walk ahead of Kavya

Warangal : Has Congress opened Pandora’s box by giving the Warangal Lok Sabha ticket to Kadiyam Kavya, the heir-apparent of Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari? It appears so. The general mood of the leaders in the constituency, irrespective of party lines, is that Congress made a mistake by giving the ticket to a parachute candidate, especially at a time when its leaders have been waiting for their turn to grow politically. It’s understandable that

they have been out of power for a decade, and were loyal to their party despite facing the onslaught of the BRS Government.

The leadership may have silenced the aspirants for the moment. But would they come out heartfully and work for Kavya’s victory is a million-dollar question.

“Why the leadership preferred a turncoat, especially at a time when the party is riding high on its success in the elections to the Assembly?” a senior Congress leader questioned the party leadership, in a statement to The Hans India on condition of anonymity.

“There are at least half-a-dozen loyal Congress aspirants who ran from pillar to post hoping to get the ticket. On the other hand, the BRS cadre is low on morale with its main leaders migrating to either the Congress or the BJP. Even Kavya who initially wanted to contest on the BRS ticket changed her mind and joined the Congress. Earlier, former MLA Aroori Ramesh also refused the BRS ticket and preferred to contest on the BJP ticket,” the senior Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, top BRS leaders – Errabelli Dayakar Rao, D Vinay Bhaskar, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, and others are furious over Kadiyam Srihari for deserting the party after thoroughly enjoying the posts. They said that the BRS made Srihari MP, then deputy chief minister, besides renewing his Council membership twice. When he demanded, the BRS leadership gave him the Station Ghanpur ticket, ignoring the sitting MLA Thatikonda Rajaiah. And finally, the party gave the Warangal Lok Sabha ticket to his daughter Kavya.

After all this, Srihari simply left the party, the BRS leaders say. Against this backdrop, the BRS leaders vowed to defeat Kavya in Lok Sabha polls. It’s going to be a double-whammy for the Congress candidate Kavya as she faces strong Opposition from within the party and the BRS. Meanwhile, the MRPS founder Manda Krishna Madiga who is supporting the BJP called upon his cadre not to support Kavya at any cost.