‘Road roller’ to ‘baby stroller’: Symbol war, but not symbolic, for Telangana contestant

Now in TRS crosshairs, Kolisetty Shiva Kumar was the one who formed the YSRCP and then handed it over to Jagan

Kolisetty Shiva Kumar founded the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) in 2010.

In the past two days, Kolisetty Shiva Kumar, 45, has become more famous than all the other candidates contesting the by-election in Telangana’s Munugode. His war with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) over the “road roller” election symbol allotted to him by the Election Commission, and opposed by the TRS, has catapulted him to the limelight.

Shiva Kumar has been in the headlines before. In 2010, he was the one who founded the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). A staunch follower and admirer of late Dr. Y.S. Rajashekara Reddy, he handed over the party to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in May 2011. “I resigned from the party, informed the Election Commission of India, and handed it over to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy,’’ he said. When Jagan stormed to power in May 2019, he appointed Shiva Kumar, who was no longer with TRS, to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, where he served from 2019 to 2021.

Kumar says he is committed to the protection of cows and has dedicated much of his life to it. He runs the Gau Maha Kshetram, a large cow shelter near Batasingaram on the outskirts of Hyderabad near Ramoji Film City, where at least 1,000 cows are sheltered. “These are mostly cows rescued from going to slaughter houses,” he said. In 2016, Shiva Kumar, a businessman, agriculturist and social worker, founded the Yuga Thulasi Party for the sole purpose of promoting cow protection and thulasi (holy basil). “I’m campaigning to get the cow declared as our national animal and full protection given to it. This is my sole ambition,’’ he said. On March 6 this year, he filed papers seeking recognition for his party with the ECI, which approved it on September 14.

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Kumar was allotted the “road roller” symbol on October 17. It is one of the eight that the ruling TRS is opposing, saying that on EVMs and ballot papers, they resemble the TRS’s car symbol and can leave the voters confused. In spite of protests and objections by the TRS, the EC allotted the symbol to Kumar. The Telangana high court also dismissed a TRS petition to remove the symbol, saying it cannot interfere in the EC process of symbol allocation. However, on October 19, the returning officer of Munugode Assembly constituency, Jagannath Rao, cancelled the allocation of the symbol to Shiva Kumar without informing anyone, and allotted the “baby stroller” symbol. “He did it surreptitiously late at night without consulting others. He did it under pressure from the TRS,” Kumar alleged, and lodged a strong complaint with ECI. He has also filed a petition in the Telangana HC. The EC took serious note of the complaint, removed Rao and restored the symbol to Shiva Kumar on Thursday.

Kumar says TRS legislators camping at Munugode put a lot of pressure on him to withdraw from the contest but he has refused to budge.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More