Hyderabad: In a resounding victory, Congress Adivasi leader and incumbent MLA from Mulugu, Danasari Anasuya, affectionately known as Seethakka, achieved a remarkable hat-trick by winning the seat in Telangana’s tribal heartland with an impressive majority of 33,700 votes.
Congress leader Seethakka, who is active on social media, has previously shared her pics while holding a gun when she was a young naxalite.
Will she become deputy CM?
Her third consecutive victory has made Seethakka one of the potential candidates for the post of deputy chief minister of Telangana State. If it happens, it will be an extraordinary moment chronicling her journey from being a gun-wielding Naxal to being a part of the state cabinet.
Since reports indicating that Revanth Reddy will likely be the next chief minister surfaced, speculation are rife that Seethakka would also be elevated to the cabinet. There has, however, no been no official word on the same.
According to sources, Seethakka’s name is being proposed for deputy chief minister by Revanth Reddy, to which Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has voiced a strong opposition. While Mallu Bhatti himself is one of the contenders for the chief minister’s position. If at all he agrees to become deputy CM, he has he has demanded that he be the only deputy.
Seethakka won for the third consecutive time from Telangana’s tribal heartland, Mulugu in Warangal district, which is reserved for ST candidates. She won with a majority of 33,700 votes over BRS candidate.
A former Naxalite, Seethakka is native of Jaggannapeat village in Mulugu, which borders Chattisgarh. The constituency is tribal dominant with 75 percent of its population living in deep forest areas.
Served tribal during Covid
Seethakka’s services to the vulnerable tribal communities living in forest areas during Covid brought her nationwide attention as images and videos emerged of her trekking across hilly terrain and crossing streams to deliver daily essentials.
With a scarf tied to her head and saree tucked to her waist, Seethakka would set off every day to distant villages that had limited road access and transport. She would often walk for several kilometres with heavy bags on her shoulders, or ride on a bullock cart to reach tribal villages.
Naxalites, affectionately called by tribals as ‘anna’, wield significant influence and commanded respect in remote areas of the state. Many young men and women were attracted to Naxalites during the 1980s.
From Naxal to social worker
After passing 10th class, young Anasuya plunged into the Naxalite movement in 1988, and she shortly became a dalam leader or group commander. Her brother and husband, who were also involved in naxalism, were killed in police encounters.
She eventually laid down arms during N Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure as chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh. Following surrender, Seethakka was involved with an NGO that was working for upliftment of tribals in forests. During this time, she actively participated in various activities with officials and tribal communities. Soon, after her influence grew over the tribal community, she was offered a ticket by Telugu Desam Party ticket, and she won from Mulugu in 2009 assembly elections.
However, after the formation of Telangana, she quit Telugu Desam Party and joined Congress along with A Revanth Reddy.
Despite her busy schedule in public life, she continued her education and studied law. She earned a PhD in political science from Osmania university in 2022
(Zahed Farooqui contributed to this report)
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