The Yellandu ST-reserved Assembly constituency in Telangana’s tribal majority Bhadradri Kothagudem district is all set to throw up an interesting electoral battle in the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Ending speculations over her entry into electoral politics, Adivasi academic Gummadi Anuradha has announced her decision to contest the elections from the ST-reserved Yellandu constituency as an independent candidate, hoping to bring in change and usher in clean politics.
Ms.Anuradha is the daughter of former Yellandu MLA Gummadi Narsaiah of CPI (ML) Praja Pandha, who represented the Yellandu constituency for five times in the past. Her father Mr.Narsaiah earned a niche for himself as a champion of the rights of tribals, peasants and working class during his long stint as CPI(ML) New Democracy leader in the past few decades in Telangana’s tribal heartland.
Ms.Anuradha, an assistant professor at the University PG College of Law in Osmania University, Hyderabad, did her Ph.D on the topic ‘Tribal property rights’.
Some of her classmates conducted a meeting in Yellandu last week; her supporters had even put up banners in the coal town and launched a social media campaign welcoming her entry into electoral fray to usher in change, sources added.
Ms.Anuradha, who hails from Tekulagudem village in Karepally mandal, enjoys a good rapport with a cross-section of people in Yellandu constituency due to her active association with the PDSU and various mass organisations representing youth and women during her college days, sources added.
We welcome her entry into electoral politics as an independent candidate as it would help elect an Adivasi academic well-versed in tribal laws as an elected representative of our tribal belt,” opined Sravanthi, a student activist of Yellandu.
