Hyderabad: Politics in the Goshamahal assembly constituency here has heated up quite a bit after (now suspended) BJP MLA T Raja Singh was detained and sent to jail by the police last month. Currently in detention under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, his absence has allowed the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to become more active in the seat in preparation for next year’s state elections.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders, including state ministers, are regularly visiting Goshamahal and attending all government programs. In fact, even small programs are not missed by them, pointed out sources from the party. With Raja Singh in jail, the Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state leadership has reportedly asked its cadre to go toe-to-toe with the TRS as well.
Suspended BP MLA Raja Singh, who is infamous for spreading hate through his provocative speeches, was arrested last month for making derogatory comments against Prophet Muhammad in a Youtube video. He posted the video in response to the TRS-run state government allowing comic Munawar Faruqui hold a standup show in Hyderabad on August 20.
Hate video and arrest of Raja Singh
Faruqui’s show was held amidst tight security. Two days later, Raja Singh posted the video, which led to several protests against him. The MLA was arrested on August 23 and got bail the same day. He was later detained under the PD Act by the Hyderabad police. He has over 100 cases against him, of which over two dozen were for communal disturbances.
After that, the All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party had submitted a representation to the Telangana Assembly speaker, requesting him to disqualify Raja Singh as an MLA. The request is under scrutiny. The vacuum generated after him being in jail has lead to intensified political activity in the Assembly segment. In the 2018 state elections, it was a three-way fight between the TRS, BJP and the Congress.
On Sunday, GHMC Corporator from Jambagh, Rakesh Jaiswal staged a protest at the M J Market junction demanding a ban on the Popular Front of India, which was raided by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) few days ago. He burned the effigy of PFI and asked the state government to deal with the PFI aggressively.
Earlier this month, Goshamahal constituency TRS incharge, Nand Kishore Vyas Bilal alias Nandu Bilal, snatched the mike from Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Committee president Dr Bhagwanth Rao while he was addressing the public during Ganesh Visarjan program at M J Market. Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma was on the dais when Nandu Bilal went and snatched the mike.
Dr. Bhagwanth Rao was allegedly criticising chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and TRS supremo, and that annoyed Nandu Bilal.
TRS, BJP at each other’s neck in public events
In another incident in Mangalhat, TRS and BJP leaders raised slogans against each other during ‘Aasra pension’ distribution program. Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali, the chief guest, faced immense problems when the local BJP corporator Parmeshwari objected to the TRS leaders handing over pension papers through a former corporator who belonged to the TRS.
“The TRS party is trying to hijack all the programs and leaders doing goondaism. Officials are supporting the ruling party during the program and flouting the protocol. Ex-public representatives are accommodated on stage and served made to sit in public. It is a blatant abuse of power,” Parmeshwari told Siasat.com.
In one more incident at Jummerath Bazaar, Lal Singh, the BJP local corporator protested when TRS Minister T Srinivas Yadav and other party workers tried to sideline him during the ‘Bathukamma saree distribution program’ at Jummerath Bazaar. The minister along with the corporators from Goshamahal division took the stage and BJP workers were sidelined, Lal Singh alleged during the program.
Nandu Kishore Vyas, TRS incharge of Goshamahal told Siasat.com that the TRS cadre is “always on field” in Goshamahal irrespective of BJP MLA or corporator. “BJP leaders are trying to create problems in government welfare programs for political mileage. Whenever elections are held, all GHMC corporators will be from TRS party and the MLA as well,” he said.
In the 2018 state elections, Raja Singh won the Goshamahal seat with 61854 votes, while TRS’s Prem Singh Rathore secured 44120 votes. Late Congress leader and ex-minister M. Mukesh Goud managed to get 26,322 votes.
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