Telangana Rashtriya Samithi leader and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha didn't expect that hundreds of farmers would turn against her when she tried to paint a bad picture of Prime Minister Modi. Kavitha asked farmers to file nominations to fight against PM Modi but in turn 200 farmers have filed nominations to contest against her.
Hyderabad: About 200 farmers have filed their nominations in Nizamabad alleging failure on the part of the Centre and state governments in ensuring remunerative prices for their produce. The total number of candidates in the constituency has risen to 245.
Farmers entered the poll fray in an attempt to highlight their plight. Ruling TRS and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha is also a contestant in the constituency.
Kavitha had earlier asked farmers from Varanasi and Amethi to file nominations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, as an attempt to make Modi feel the pinch of the agrarian crisis.
However, the suggestion backfired for Kavita and as many as 200 farmers filed nominations against her.
On the last day of filing papers, turmeric growers and farmers who cultivated red sorghum thronged the office of the returning officer in Nizamabad to submit papers as independent candidates.
Sources said that political leaders are now trying their best to convince farmers to withdraw their nominations.
State Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said as per initial figures, a total of 699 nominations, including 245 in Nizamabad, had been filed for the 17 constituencies in the state of Telangana as of Monday evening.
On whether EVMs can be used in view of the large number of contestants in Nizamabad, he said that while the old machines cannot accommodate many, the new equipment can handle more.
However, ballot papers would be used if need be, he added.
The scrutiny of nomination papers would take place Tuesday and the last date for withdrawal is March 28.
The process of filing nominations began on March 18.
State Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy (from Nalgonda), AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad) and former union minister Renuka Choudhary (Khammam) are among the prominent candidates who have filed their papers.
Though the TRS has filed nominations for all 17 seats, including Hyderabad, it has been publicly supporting its ally Owaisi, who is pitching for the ruling party’s victory in remaining 16 constituencies.
Congress and BJP have fielded nominees in all the seats.
AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana RC Khuntia appealed to the TDP, CPI and other opposition parties to support the Congress in constituencies where they are not in the fray.
Significantly, the TDP on Monday decided not to field candidates in Telangana in the Lok Sabha elections, a first since its formation in 1982.
Congress had requested the regional party’s support, TDP sources said.
BJP has denied ticket to its sitting MP and former union minister Bandaru Dattatreya. The CPI-M and CPI are contesting two seats each.
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