Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s plan to field Surabhi Vani Devi, daughter of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, to attract the voters of educated people, is a wrong strategy, say analysts.
According to them, the strategy of the TRS leadership is likely to backfire on them for the simple reason that KCR and his family members are focussing too much on her Brahmin background, rather than her eligibility for the post.
The TRS leaders have been extensively campaigning that Vani Devi is an educated Brahmin woman and the party has shown its respect towards Brahmin community by fielding her in the MLC elections in the Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar graduates’ constituency.
Even on Saturday, KCR’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha said the fact that Vani Devi had been chosen for the MLC seat showed the kind of respect KCR had towards Brahmin community.
She held a meeting with representatives of 53 Brahmin community groups under the leadership of Brahmin Parishad, where she sought their support to Vani Devi. She assured that the government would solve all their issues.
It is obvious that KCR is targeting the defeat of sitting MLC N Ramachandra Rao of BJP, who is also a Brahmin. The TRS leadership thought the Brahmins, who constitute a large chunk of the graduate voters would have sympathy towards her and P V Narasimha Rao.
By openly taking up the cause of Brahmins, KCR would be losing the support of other communities, including minorities, SCs, STs and OBCs. In fact, the BJP candidate never disclosed his Brahmin identify and won the elections last time.
“So, the focus on Brahmin identity of Vani will not help us and in fact, it might prove counterproductive,” the analyst said.