The upcoming Graduate MLC elections in the joint districts of Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad, and Medak are heating up, especially in Karimnagar district. These elections have sparked intense competition, particularly within the ruling Congress party, as more and more candidates come forward to contest. Campaigns are already in full swing.
The current MLC, T Jeevan Reddy, is from the joint Karimnagar district. So far, ten prominent candidates from the district are campaigning hard for the seat. Once voter registration began, these candidates immediately started aggressive campaigns to gather support.
Registering voters has become a costly process. Candidates have organized hundreds of volunteers to help register thousands of voters across the four joint districts. In the 2019 elections, 1,96,321 voters were registered from 15 districts in the constituency. This time, the number of voters is expected to more than double.
Some notable candidates from Karimnagar include Dr. V Narender Reddy, head of Alphores Educational Institutions; Prasanna Harikrishna, an Assistant Professor at Gajwel College; Polsani Sugunakar Rao, former National General Secretary of BJP Kisan Morcha; Yadagiri Shekhar Rao, former TRSMA State President; Dr. BN Rao, former IMA State President; Mushtaq Ali, head of Laksh Educational Institutions; and Sardar Ravinder Singh, former mayor of Karimnagar. Also, Anantha Reddy, Chairman of Manair Educational Institutions, has expressed interest in running.
Over the past two months, these candidates have been busy with a strong voter registration drive, traveling to all 15 districts. They are meeting with key groups such as lawyers, doctors, lecturers, teachers, and professional associations to encourage people to register and support their campaigns.
The voter registration process will continue until the end of November, so there is still time for more candidates to announce their intention to run.
It’s notable that Ravinder Singh, Dr. Rao, and Shekhar Rao are expected to contest with the support of the BRS party, while Dr. Narender Reddy is receiving backing from Congress. Polsani Sugunakar Rao and Gujjula Ramakrishna Reddy are looking for BJP support, but many candidates are willing to run as independents if needed. Harikrishna Goud, a close associate of Choppadandi MLA Medipalli Satyam, is also hoping for Congress support.
Some candidates have strong political connections, while others, especially those running educational institutions, have built large followings by educating thousands of students over the years.
In the last election, Congress-backed T Jeevan Reddy secured 56,698 votes, while BRS-backed Chandrasekhar Goud received 17,268 votes. Polsani Sugunakar Rao got 15,077 votes, and Rani Rudrama of the Nava Telangana Party attracted 5,192 votes.
