Eatala Rajender quits assembly, Telangana set for another bypoll bout

HYDERABAD: The stage is set for another by-election in the state in the next few months with former health minister Eatala Rajender resigning from the Telangana assembly. He had given up his TRS membership a few days back. Now political parties will focus on the candidates to be fielded in the . Rajender, who is set to join the BJP on June 14, will be in the race.
Rajender, who was sacked from state cabinet on April 30 on allegations of encroaching on government land by a firm owned by his family members, paid tributes to Telangana martyrs at Gun Park, opposite Assembly and later submitted resignation to assembly secretary as speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy was not available in his office.
Within two hours of his resignation, the speaker accepted his resignation and informed the Election Commission about the vacancy.
Soon after stripping Rajender of his ministership, the TRS leadership had deployed senior leaders to see that none of the party leaders and local body elected members sail with the ex-minister.
KCR also decided to replicate the ‘Nagarjuna Sagar’ bypoll strategy in Huzurabad. In the Sagar elections, TRS had adopted multi-pronged strategy where KCR took charge and prepared the poll plan.
The CM visited the constituency much before the bypoll was notified and announced sops for the constituency. He addressed a second public meeting three days before the bypoll.
The CM is expected to visit Huzurabad this monthend not only to announce developmental works but also to boost the morale of the local leaders. The party has not decided on the candidate yet.
Though there were rumours that the former minister’s wife would contest from Huzurabad, BJP is most likely to field Rajender himself. Congress has not decided on a candidate and is not clear whether Kaushik Reddy will be fielded in this election too.