He might not be a popular personality on social media platforms like his contemporaries, yet he remains accessible to his constituents and is known to be a ‘go-to guy’ in need. He is none other than Thigulla Padma Rao Goud, the sitting MLA from Secunderabad constituency who has now been tasked by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) with winning the Secunderabad Parliamentary constituency.
Mr. Goud was first elected to the Assembly in 2004, and later in 2014, 2018 and 2023. He was the Minister for Excise and Sports and Youth Services during 2014-18 and was Deputy Speaker of the Assembly from 2018 to 2023. He’s pitted in a three-cornered contest this time, taking on Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on one hand and Congress candidate Danam Nagender, Khairatabad MLA of BRS who defected to the Congress, on the other.
In an interaction with The Hindu on Thursday, Mr. Padma Rao spoke about his prospects and the defeat of BRS in the Assembly elections. Asked about his advantages as a candidate, he said the development of the city during the last 10 years when the BRS government was at the helm, reach of development and welfare schemes to beneficiaries, and his 24×7 accessibility to people would help him achieve a comfortable victory.
Asked whether the inaccessibility of the party leadership to people, particularly during the second term, was the reason for the Assembly election defeat, the BRS leader said: “We have already paid for it. It is a closed chapter now and we are are in the process of course correction. At the same time, we are explaining to the people how Congress and BJP deceived them.”
About his opponents, Mr. Padma Rao, known as ‘Pajjanna’ among his followers, claimed that Mr. Kishan Reddy, if elected again, would continue to remain out of bounds to the people of the constituency as he has been for the last five years. “Mr. Nagender and the Congress do not have much of a support base. I see the contest as a straight fight between BRS and BJP. The people are on our side,” the BRS leader asserted.
About his priorities, he said he would continue to fight for the interests of Telangana. “If the State gets funds and projects, my constituency too will get its share,” Mr. Padma Rao said.
