Student leader is TRS's candidate against former minister Eatala

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to nominate Gellu Srinivas Yadav, state president of the TRS student wing, as the party’s candidate for the Huzurabad by-elections.

The seat which was held by former health minister Eatala Rajender fell vacant in June after he resigned from the ruling party and also the Telangana assembly membership.

Eatala, a prominent leader, has later joined the BJP and is expected to be the saffron party's candidate, challenging the KCR-TRS might.

While it is unclear as to when the poll notification would be issued by the Election Commission of India, TRS and BJP have intensified their efforts to woo the voters.

Eatala has set out on a padayatra in the constituency, while CM Rao, who is taking special interest in the polls, announced the launch of a Dalit empowerment programme from Huzurabad, which has a considerable number of Scheduled Caste voters.

“Gellu has been a committed worker with the TRS since its inception. Gellu, who was the president of the TRS Vidyarthi wing Osmania University unit, was arrested and jailed several times during the Telangana statehood movement. Recognizing his services and determination, KCR has finalized his candidature for the Huzurabad by-elections,” the CM's office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Eatala reacted by saying that “regardless of who the TRS candidate is, he will be a slave to KCR.”

“Voters will have to decide between such a slave and a person who can fight for their rights, self-respect,” Eatala said, expressing confidence about his victory “despite the TRS spending hundreds of crores of rupees to defeat him.”