Hyderabad: After expressing her intention to contest in the upcoming Telangana Assembly polls, Vennela, the daughter of the revolutionary singer, activist, and folk balladeer Gaddar (Gummadi Vittal Rao), has urged the Congress to clarify if the kin of the late activist would be offered a ticket.
At a press conference alongside her mother in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 21, Vennela said that the Congress leaders initially assured ticket to the family but have now become silent.
“I am hoping for a ticket from the Congress to contest the assembly elections. But even if the ticket is not given, we are ready to contest the elections. We have a fighting spirit to fight for the people,” Vennela said, conveying that she is ready to contest the elections.
Vennela said that Gaddar wanted the revolution to come through votes and, in his last days, had backed the Congress party. She said Gaddar wished to contest the election. “Congress says it will work in the spirit of the Constitution, so we support them.”
Vimala stated that she would campaign on behalf of her daughter if Congress offered her a ticket.
Earlier in an interview with Siasat.com, Vennela said that the media had been creating pressure on her to join politics. “My brother and I are certain we want to enter this battlefield and will take up the opportunity if Congress offers it to us.”
However, high-placed sources in Congress have said that the high command is reevaluating the idea of offering her a ticket from Secunderabad Cantonment considering the constituency is a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) stronghold.
Congress plans to win with the calculative support of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the Muslim community in Telangana. The party’s electoral strategy includes aligning with influential local figures to seize power from the BRS, BJP, and Gaddar family’s cultural and political lineage, which will help the party.
Gaddar’s tryst with Congress
After the untimely demise of Gaddar, two months ago, top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi consoled the family on the sidelines of the Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad. They recalled the revolutionary singer’s struggle for people’s rights.
Gaddar had passed away on August 6 after a brief illness. He was 74. He had always been a vocal critic of the ruling BRS and saw Congress as a viable alternative in his final days. This sentiment was reiterated by Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS) chief Professor Kodandaram, a close associate of the late activist, who has joined Congress recently.
The poet and singer’s last major public appearance was on July 2 in Khammam when he hugged Rahul Gandhi at a public meeting of the Congress party.
After his demise, Sonia Gandhi sent his wife a letter expressing her heartfelt condolences. She wrote that Gaddar played a pivotal role in using art and culture as a means of expression to bring attention to the struggles of the marginalised and oppressed in society.
Gaddar Praja Party
However, there’s a subplot to this emerging political narrative—the Gaddar Praja Party. Before his demise, Gaddar announced the formation of his political party, eyeing the upcoming elections.
Although the groundwork has begun, Vennela expressed the family’s reservations. “It’s not easy to form and run a political party. But we want to carry forward our father’s legacy, and if Congress does offer us the opportunity, we will ensure that we serve society and fulfil our father’s purpose,” she said.
(With inputs from IANS)
