Hyderabad: After giving TRS jitters in the recently-concluded MLC elections, independent candidate Teenmar Mallanna is gearing up to make it tough for the ruling party even in the ensuing Nagarjunasagar assembly by-poll.
He is not keen on contesting the Nagarjunasagar by-election, but is gearing up to campaign against the ruling TRS. “I am not interested in contesting in Nagarjunasagar, but will certainly launch an aggressive social media campaign against TRS,” Mallana, whose real name is C Naveen Kumar, told TOI. The by-poll is on April 17 and counting of votes on May 2. As many as five independents filed nominations on Tuesday.
On the political grapevine that the BJP is holding negotiations with him to contest on saffron party ticket, Mallanna said some BJP leaders had approached him, but he do not want to associate with any political party presently. However, BJP chief spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao said BJP was a national party and has an electoral process to select and nominate a candidate. BJP does not reach out to individuals outside the party. “The BJP is already confabulating on finalising its candidate for Nagarjunasagar by-poll,” he said.
Mallanna was involved in a close contest with Palla Rajeshwar Reddy of TRS in the recently-concluded Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam graduates’ MLC constituency election and finished runners up with 1.49 lakh first and second preference votes. His first priority is to campaign against the ruling party which has failed to fulfill the aspirations of the people in the new state and later take on other political parties. “I am not in favour of any political party. I will continue as an independent candidate until I get total support of the people to form a new political party,” he said.
While Congress is planning to hold a public meeting at Haliya in Nagarjuna Sagar segment on March 27 and its candidate K Jana Reddy expected to file his nomination on March 29, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to announce the party candidate soon.