DS plans entry through Council

The Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr D. Srinivas, appears to have decided to re-enter the legislature not through the Assembly but through the Legislative Council from the Hyderabad local bodies’ constituency that go to the polls in April.

Mr Srinivas, who hails from Nizamabad town, was elected three times from the Nizamabad Assembly segment but lost to the BJP candidate in the last Assembly elections.

Though there is a clear vacancy in the Nizamabad Assembly segment due to the resignation of Mr A. Laxminarayana over the Telangana issue, Mr Srinivas has decided not to contest the bypoll for several reasons.

A strong votary of a separate Telangana state, he has been maintaining a stoic silence on the issue ever since he was made PCC president. However, sentiment in favour of statehood for Telangana runs high in Nizamabad and Mr Srinivas would have had to declare his stand during the election campaign.

What may also have influenced Mr Srinivas to opt for the council rather than the Assembly is that the moment he filed his nomination papers for the Nizamabad bypoll he would be viewed as a future chief minister of Telangana state. Several politicians from different communities in the Telangana region aspire to the post should the state be bifurcated and they would do their best to scuttle Mr Srinivas’s chances.

The advantage of the council route is that the Congress and the Majlis are sure to get one seat each from Hyderabad and the election would be unanimous.