Kodandaram speaking during the meet at Saroornagar stadium |express photo
HYDERABAD: Ending long suspense on his efforts to become the Arvind Kejriwal of Telangana by floating a political party for commoners, Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) chairman M Kodandaram on Sunday made it clear that he was going to don the political avatar soon. He announced that a new political party would soon take birth under the auspices of the TJAC to speak on behalf of the plebian.“No doubt, we are floating a new political outfit in the State for the sake of fulfilling the aspirations of Telangana martyrs. By the end of this month, we will give complete clarity,” the former professor announced, amid thunderous applause from TJAC members, during a meeting organised to chalk out agitations on farmers’ issues, on Sunday. He, however, made it clear that the TJAC will continue to play the role of a “watchdog” in the State. 
Party on March 10
According to sources, the new party’s name is Telangana Jana Samithi and its poll symbol will be a farmer carrying a plough. Already, TJAC has started the process of registering the new party with the Election Commission of India.It is further learnt that the new party might be formally launched on March 10 in Warangal, the day on which Million March, a protest programme was organised in Telangana seeking statehood to the region in 2011.Soon after floating the new political outfit, the TJAC might organise two massive public meetings in the northern and southern parts of the State, each.
Interestingly, the TRS had contested the local body polls way back in 2001 on the same election symbol, which Kodandaram is reportedly considering for his political party, soon after inception.
Alleging that so far 3,432 farmers have committed suicide in the new State, Kodandaram demanded that the government come to the rescue of the kin of these dead farmers’ families. “Of the 3,432 departed farmers, families of only 430 ryots have been provided ex-gratia by the government. We demand that the government provide financial aid to all the families of deceased farmers,” he said.
