Telangana: Homes with banners pledging support to Harish Rao greet rivals

Harish Rao, 46, will be contesting for the sixth time from Siddipet. A champion of the Telangana separate statehood movement, he is extremely popular not only in his constituency but across the state. He is liked by all TRS leaders too. “He is a grassroots worker and a popular leader. He is connected to the common man. He is an excellent organiser and trouble-shooter for the TRS and KCR. As he is rooted in the party, he is a great mobiliser of the TRS cadre. If there is any issue, he will pursue it everyday personally till it is resolved,’’ said TRS leader and Karimnagar Lok Sabha MP B Vinod Kumar.

Harish Rao handled TRS affairs for three years since its formation in April 2001. He contested for the first time from Siddipet in the October 2004 by-elections after K Chandrashekar Rao resigned as sitting MLA on being inducted as a Cabinet Minister in Dr Manmohan Singh’s UPA government.

As the Congress and TRS had a pre-poll alliance, Harish Rao was inducted as a minister in the late Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy’s Cabinet. Subsequently, Harish Rao was among the MLAs who resigned in demand of the formation of Telangana. He went on to win a bypoll in 2008 from Siddipet and then the parliamentary polls in 2009. Thereafter, he and other TRS MLAs again stepped down over their demand for a separate state. Following this, Harish Rao won from Siddipet in the 2010 bypoll and then in the 2014 general election.

This election, Harish Rao is also handling the campaign for KCR in the Gajwel constituency and is dividing his time between Siddipet and Gajwel. In Siddipet, wherever he went, he was mobbed by supporters. At Ankushpur and Durgapalli in Nangnur mandal, thousands turned up at his public meetings and slogans of “Jai Telangana” rang loud.

After the formation of Telangana, Harish Rao was sworn in as Minister for Irrigation in KCR’s Cabinet and dedicated much of his time in monitoring the progress of the Kaleshwaram Project, a multi-purpose irrigation project in which the state is investing about Rs 80,000 crore. “Ever since the Kaleshwaram project started in May 2016, Harish Rao has spent more time there than at Siddipet or in Hyderabad. He has dedicated all his time for that project, but he has also ensured Siddipet’s development,’’ said

K Rajanarsu, chairman of Siddipet Municipality.

“Kaleshwaram project is close to my heart but I have always been available for my people. I have participated in every programme people organised in Siddipet and invited me. I entered active politics in 2004 and in the last 14 years, I think I have become a part of the families of Siddipet,’’ said Harish Rao.

As a popular leader, Harish Rao has considerable leverage and Siddipet has benefited from this. In the reorganisation of districts in October 2016, Siddipet, which was part of Medak district, became a separate district. It also got a Police Commissionerate, a government hospital and state-run colleges.

Outside Nangnur village, 30 km from Siddipet town, a huge flex board greets visitors, “Our vote is for Harish anna…our vote is for car (TRS symbol).”

“Harish Rao is like a family member here. He has brought about a lot of development in Siddipet. He is the common man’s MLA,’’ said Allam Parmila, an anganwadi worker.