Two former MLAs — Saudagar Gangaram and T. Arunatara — and TPCC general secretary Gadugu Gangadhar are in the race for the Congress ticket from the Jukkal reserved (SC) Assembly constituency in the district. Each of them seem confident of securing the ticket.
Sixty-five-year-old Gangaram is a veteran politician and a four-time MLA, who made his debut in the House along with several political stalwarts like Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu. He was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1978.
Aruntara, the district Mahila Congress president, held the constituency from TDP during 1999 to 2004. Subsequently she was denied the ticket in 2004 when Gangaram was elected. In 2009 she lost as PRP candidate to Hanmanth Shinde of TDP. Later, during Telangana agitation, Shinde resigned from TDP and joined TRS. He was re-elected to the Assembly in 2014.
Gangaram says Arunatara and Gangadhar are non-locals and so, have no locus standi for the party ticket.
Despite the support of senior Congress leaders and State-level leaders to Gangadhar, there is a chance of strong opposition from Gangaramunless the party high command strictly issues instructions.
Arunatara had done good work in the constituency when she was an MLA, which could be of advantage to her. A local scribe observes, “Gangaram’s cooperation is important given that he has following in each village. However, if he manages to get ticket, he would need the assistance of Gangadhar and Arunatara to win.”
Congress cadre is confused over candidature and waiting for the party’s decision. On the other hand, after his candidature was declared, Shinde has been taking rapid strides in campaigning. It is a big question whether Shinde can achieve the hat-trick no one has scored till now, since the formation of the constituency.