Interview| People not happy with Kishan Reddy; BRS will win Secunderabad seat: T Padma Rao Goud

Hyderabad: BRS candidate for Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat T Padma Rao Goud believes that union Minister and BJP candidate G Kishan Reddy’s non-availability will cost him dearly in the election. He says Kishan Reddy's is not much accessible to the public and this might affect his vote bank.

Former minister exudes confidence to win Secunderabad seat. After a 40-year stint in state politics, the 70-year-old veteran has taken a plunge in national politics. Padma Rao says with five sitting MLAs under the Secunderabad Lok Sabha segment, the party will emerge the winner with a thumping majority.

Padma Rao says they are of course keen but their political entry will be decided by the party supremo KCR and until then his family would wait.

In a freewheeling interview with NewsMeter, T Padma Rao discussed all issues threadbare. Excerpts:

NM: How is the election campaign going on? How is the urban voters’ response towards BRS, which recently lost power in the State?

Padma Rao: Secunderabad parliamentary constituency is part of Hyderabad city. In state elections, people voted in favor of BRS in assembly constituencies under the Secunderabad Lok Sabha. Telugu people and those from different parts of the country who have settled in Hyderabad have seen the big development carried out by BRS in the last 10 years. Understandably they rallied behind BRS and ensured party clean sweeps in Hyderabad. There is overwhelming support for our party from voters even now.

NM: “Pajanna”, the name by which everyone addresses you fondly, began his political life as a Corporator in 1986. It’s almost 40 years in politics. Now at the age of 70 years, you are trying to shift from State to National politics. The party leadership has fielded you, but can you let us know your vision and plans for Secunderabad?

Padma Rao: If I talk about my role in state politics, I have been a 4-time MLA apart from serving as Minister and Deputy Speaker of Telangana Assembly. I am an MLA now (Secunderabad assembly). I was an MLA when Congress was in power in an undivided State. If a senior politician gets an opportunity to go from state to national politics, irrespective of which party is in power in the state, there are good chances of getting funds, schemes, etc. from the Centre for not only the development of the constituency but also the state as well.

NM: The election in Secunderabad looks interesting. One union minister and two MLAs are in the fray from different parties. However, political pundits are predicting it’s a two-cornered fight between BJP and BRS. What are your observations?

Padma Rao: Every candidate might say they have a good winning chance, but practically speaking we are confident of a BRS win in Secunderabad. Coming to G Kishan Reddy, the feedback we got from the public was that the union minister was not available for them for the last five years. Even the MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) funds were not utilized and lapsed. BJP functionaries on the ground are saying openly that they were not recognized for their work and hence would not be supporting him (referring to Kishan Reddy) this time. Even obtaining an MP’s recommendation letter for Thirumala darshan was not possible for their party, who had to approach MLAs for the letters. Even in my Secunderabad assembly segment, various BJP activists approached me for recommendation letters, reference letters for college admissions, or temple visits. This is not a hearsay but a fact on the ground.

NM: Secunderabad Loksabha constituency comprises seven assembly segments (Jubilee Hills, Khairatabad, Amberpet, Musheerabad, Nampally, Secunderabad, and Sanathnagar). And BRS enjoys support in 5 segments.

Padma Rao: The big advantage for BRS is out of the seven assembly constituencies, five are represented by our party. Maganti Gopinath from Jubilee Hills, Kaleru Venkatesh from Amberpet, Muta Gopal from Musheerabad, Talasani Srinivas Yadav from Sanathnagar, and myself from Secunderabad. And all of them have good connections and relations with the locals and voters. Hence, BRS is in front and has the highest winning chances. For that matter, Khairatabad also belongs to BRS as Danam Nagender won on our party symbol. Danam is known to switch loyalties towards whichever party comes to power.

NM: The number of voters in the Secunderabad Lok Sabha is nearly 21 lakh. Out of these Muslim voters are more than 20 percent. Have you prepared any manifesto specific to the Secunderabad segment highlighting local issues and promises?

Padma Rao: We are doing meetings in bastis as well as door-to-door visits. Meetings are being held with various communities like Marwaris, Sindhis, Gujaratis, etc, who are voters here. But one thing to be noted is that I am a familiar face in this part of the world as I have been working here from Day 1 of my political life. Be it during the agitation period or after the formation of Telangana, I have been loyal to my party. People do recognize and respect any politician who commits the party and its president.

There will be issues and problems in every segment, forever. Be it roads, sewerage, lighting, unemployment education, etc. …issues do come and we try to sort them out. BRS MLAs in various segments under the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat are very active in resolving public issues and complaints. Even the PM can’t say that there is no issue in the constituency represented by him.

NM: BRS Supremo and former CM K Chandrashekar Rao has undertaken a bus yatra in various segments, which is attracting people in large numbers. However, Secunderabad seems to be missing from the Yatra schedule.

Padma Rao: KCR Garu is visiting districts across the state as part of the bus yatra. The schedule is tight and hence there was no scope to fit his road show here. But we will see if there is any possibility of holding his (referring to KCR) roadshow in Secunderabad. Otherwise, also, we do have KTR and Harish, who will be doing campaigning. If one may recall, KTR extensively toured Hyderabad during general elections and GHMC polls.

NM: Post 2023 assembly election defeat, BRS is going through a tough phase. Many leaders including elected representatives like K Keshav Rao, Kadiyam Srihari, Danam Nagender, and Tellam Venkat Rao to name a few have shifted loyalties. How key is the Lok Sabha election for the party’s future?

Padma Rao: After holding key posts in the government and priority in the party, these leaders have deserted BRS. Kadiyam is facing opposition within his constituency with some villages openly opposing his visit. Nagender, who was with BRS till some time back, will come third in the Secunderabad Lok Sabha polls.

One has to take note that only some leaders have changed parties. But there is no change in public support and second-rung leaders, who are still with BRS.

Winning or losing is not in our hands. If one looks at the bus yatra taken up by our president (referring to K Chandrashekar Rao), the public is turning up in huge numbers at all places. There seems to be a change in the mindset of people. During the assembly elections, Congress brought out a manifesto and gave false promises that were very difficult to implement. That is what is being seen after it formed the government. Many election promises have not been fulfilled as there is no revenue. I have some experience of working in the government and have an idea about budget and financial matters. I worked as a minister, and deputy speaker and served as MLA earlier also when Congress was in power in the combined State. Practically the Congress government can’t implement some election promises. Congress’s only goal was to come to power at any cost taking the public for a ride with false promises.

NM: Padma Rao has reached a respectable position in his political life. If one sees your colleagues from various parties, many of them are bringing their sons or daughters as political heirs and fielding them in elections. You have four sons and two daughters. Do you intend to bring your children into politics following in your footsteps?

Padma Rao: It’s not in many hands, my party supremo has to take a call on it. When the father is a politician, it is very normal that his children may also have political ambitions. A businessman’s children would like to enter the business and take it to much bigger heights like their father. Youngsters can have expectations and nobody can fault them for that. Kids from political families having the capability and people connect tend to get opportunities and my children may also get breaks like other leaders kids. Delimitation exercise is likely to be taken up in 2026 when the number of assembly constituencies is likely to increase to 153 from the present 119.

New constituencies will come into being with the delimitation of existing constituencies in GHMC limits. Not just my children, but even kids from families with no political background, if they have talent and spark, would get political opportunities. But let me reiterate that the final decision lies only with my party chief.

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