TRS names student wing leader as candidate for Huzurabad bye-election

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Wednesday, August 11 announced that its student wing president Gellu Srinivas Yadav will be its candidate for the bye-election to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency. The decision to field the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi Vibhag (TRSV) president as the ruling party’s candidate has been taken by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Yadav, belonging to the backward class, was a student leader in the Telangana movement. As the then president of the TRSV unit at Osmania University, he was arrested and jailed several times during the Telangana movement.

"He has been working diligently with dedication and commitment in the TRS party since its inception. Recognising Gellu Srinivas' disciplined personality, service orientation and determination, CM KCR finalised his candidature for Huzurabad by-elections," said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

Yadav will take on former minister Eatala Rajender, whose resignation from the Assembly necessitated the bye-election. Rajender quit the TRS and joined the BJP in June, a month after he was dropped from the State Cabinet by Chandrasekhar Rao following allegations of land encroachment.

The BJP has already decided to field Rajender in the bye-election. The Congress party is yet to announce its candidate. The Election Commission has not yet announced the schedule for the bye-polls.

Hailing from Himmatnagar village in Karimnagar district, Yadav has done his MA, LLB, and is a research scholar in political science. The 38-year-old Yadav entered active politics and started participating in the Telangana movement while doing his BA from AV College in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Harish Rao and BC Welfare Minister Gangula Kamalakar led a massive bike rally and show of strength in Huzurabad as campaigning, which began even before the candidate was announced, continues with full fervour.  

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