DS may find it tough going

Filing of nominations has not started yet, but the electioneering has already picked up momentum in Nizamabad Urban constituency, with Pradesh Congress  chief D Srinivas launching a tirade against the Bharitya Janata Party, Telangana  Rashtra Samiti and the Telugu Desam.

In the ensuing bypolls, Nizamabad Urban constituency holds a lot of significance as D Srinivas, is aspiring to win it at all costs, while the main political contenders are keen on defeating him, come what may.

Srinivas is in a tight spot over the tall  claims he made long before he files his nomination papers.  He is trying  to impress upon his voters that, if elected, he would become the deputy chief minister. He is also assuring them that if elected he may be instrumental in fetching Telangana state before the 2014 elections.

In the 2009 elections, Srinivas was defeated by the BJP debutant   Lakshminarayana by a margin of 11,015 votes. However, Lakshminarayana resigned from the Assembly membership along with 10 TRS members, in protest against the Terms of Reference of the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee of Consultations appointed by the Centre on the State bifurcation issue.

Currently, the Telangana sentiment has increased after the Centre went back on its December 9, 2009 declaration in favour of a separate state. In all probability, the TRS might extend support to the BJP candidate, as the BJP has declared its unconditional support for separate Telangana state formation, and the BJP MLA too had resigned along with the TRS members.

As far as the Congress is concerned, it might depend on the support of the PRP, which had secured over 15,000 votes in the last election. The PRP and the Lok Satta have already announced their intention to skipn the by-elections.

The TRS and BJP, as also the TDP, have now made Srinivas their target. The TDP is contemplating to field a Minority candidate from this seat and defeat the Congress. The minority votes constitute a sizeable chunk in this constituency and this might help the TDP. The Opposition parties have already launched a tirade against the Congress aspirant.

The TDP is trying drive home the point that the Congress was responsible for stalling the Telangana state formation and that it (TDP) was not against separate Telangana State.