Union minister, two MLAs from same party in rare tricornered contest

 IN the narrow lanes and bylanes of Secunderabad, there are striking black-and-gold engravings that read: “Foundation stone laid by T Padma Rao Goud; Guest of Honour: G Kishan Reddy”.

- SWETHAVIMALA M

While the latter is the sitting BJP MP from Secunderabad, the former is a BRS MLA from the Assembly segment bearing the same name.

In the Lok Sabha elections in Secunderabad, Goud, Reddy and BRS MLA Danam Nagender are locked in a tricornered contest. Nagender, who won on a BRS ticket from Khairatabad Assembly segment in the December 2023 Assembly polls, jumped ship — but hasn’t yet resigned as a legislator — and is now contesting on a Congress ticket.

All the three candidates have years of political experience. Kishan Reddy is the state BJP president and a Union minister; Padma Rao is a four-time MLA and former state minister; and Nagender is a six-time MLA. Internal surveys of the parties currently place Kishan slightly ahead of Nagender, with the BRS candidate a close third.