Arvind Dharmapuri pads up for LS poll, hits out at dad D Srinivas

HYDERABAD: The father may be in the TRS. But the son is in the BJP and is wanting to emerge as a political leader in his own right, has no qualms in criticising his father in public and has set his eyes in challenging TRS MP K Kavitha in her bastion in Nizambad.
In one of those unusual political developments, BJP's Arvind Dharmapuri says his father D Srinivas, a TRS Rajya Sabha MP, has been found wanting in carrying out his responsibilities as a member of Parliament."My father D Srinivas is an MP from the ruling TRS. Ensuring development is also his responsibility. Tragically, this is not happening," Arvind told TOI.
A businessman, who is into the construction industry, Arvind has set his sights on the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat which currently is held by Kavitha, the daughter of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. His father, popularly known as DS, had served as Pradesh Congress Committee chief and led the Congress to victory both in the 2004 and 2009 elections.
All in the family: Arvind says his dad can do more
Later, he joined the TRS and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016. Recently, the son took to politics and is of the view that only the BJP can ensure the development of Telangana.
When asked by TOI on his remarks about his father, Arvind said he did feel that being an MP from the ruling TRS, his father indeed could do more and should have done. "My relationship with my father is good. He is my father and I am his son. But, politically I differ with him and I believe it is the BJP alone which can bring about the development that Nizamabad and for that matter the rest of the state needs," Arvind said.
Arvind recently undertook a ‘Maha Padayatra’ from March 3 to 11from Muthyampet to Bodhan covering a distance of 142 km to highlight the issue of sugarcane farmers.
"Though the TRS promised to reopen the Nizam Sugar Factory in Bodhan, it has not done it. A large number of farmers would have benefitted by selling their produce there and thousands of people would have got jobs," he said.
The 41-year-old Arvind Dharmapuri’s joining the BJP last year came as a bit of a shock for TRS leaders. No leader, however, has been critical of him. An ex-cricketer, Arvind has been able to galvanise the BJP in the Nizamabad parliamentary constituency and also get supporters from other parties. But if Kavitha Kalvakuntla were to be fielded again from the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, how would Arvind rate his chances?
"That would work only to my advantage," he said. He may also have to contend with Rahul Gandhi's close aide Madhu Yashki Goud of the Congress if the latter were to jump into the poll fray as Yashki had represented Nizamabad in the past.
"People look up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development. I have a strong base in Nizamabad district. I have done my arithmetic and I am confident that I stand a better chance of winning" he said.