Hyderabad: Political debutant and Hindutva face Kompella Madhavi Latha is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) choice to take on sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. This is the first time the BJP fielded a woman candidate in the “old city” segment — a stronghold of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Owaisi, also the AIMIM president, has been the Hyderabad MP since 2004, winning the seat four times. Earlier, his father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, was the Lok Sabha representative from Hyderabad six times.
Madhavi Latha — a BA in public administration from Nizam College and MA in political science from Osmania University — is chairperson of the Hyderabad-based Virinchi Hospitals. A National Cadet Corps (NCC) member during her student days she is also a Bharatanatyam danseuse.
The 49-year-old actively campaigned against the triple-talaq in Hyderabad’s old quarters, which has a high concentration of Muslims, collaborating with Muslim women groups. She had also set up a fund to aid economically weaker sections of Muslim women and girls.
Madhavi Latha is known not only for organising health camps and flood aid, setting up 2,176 toilets “inspired by Swachh Bharat”, and sponsoring girls’ education but also for engaging in religious activities “to promote Sanatana Dharma”.
She told thePrint, “Sanatana Dharma is the way to peace and harmony in society”.
“I am a follower of the path of dharma and influenced by the several kings under whom Hindu Dharma Rajya flourished in our Bharatavarsha,” Latha told ThePrint Sunday over the phone.
“My inspiration, for two decades now, has been Narendra Modi ji, who is sacrificing himself to lead India’s development in the right direction. Our country saw many great leaders in the past but none as selfless, decisive, and purpose-filled as PM Narendra Modi ji,” she said.
Madhavi Latha added, “My mission is to stay inspired and work towards making India a superpower in the ‘amrit kaal‘ under Modi. I thank Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, and Rajnath Singh ji for putting faith in me.”
She is sometimes mistakenly called “Dr”, which she attributed to “her devoted involvement in hospital activities, equipment procurement, etc., during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Madhavi Latha described herself as an orator, artist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, mother, wife, and woman with “a mission to usher in peace and prosperity to Hyderabad”.
“Why has the constituency, ruled by the AIMIM, remained undeveloped while other parts of the city are flourishing?” the BJP candidate asked.
“Having traversed every nook and corner of the constituency and reaching out to all sections, especially Pasmanda Muslims, I understood what people here want. Hence, my campaign theme will be ‘right to neighbourhood’ — a safe, developed one,” she told ThePrint.
Madhavi Latha, a resident of the Yakutpura assembly segment under Hyderabad, accuses AIMIM of resorting to malpractices and coercion in every election.
“If AIMIM was winning because of their good work or popularity, it is fine. The party wants to keep their constituents uninformed and intimidated and continue in power. I will approach the ECI (Election Commission of India) for the conduct of free and fair elections by way of removing bogus votes, shifting polling booths to secure zones, installing webcams, and deploying upright police officers and central police forces,” Madhavi Latha said.
Though her name was in consideration, the Hyderabad ticket came to Madhavi Latha amid buzz that sitting Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh could be fielded against Owaisi.
Goshamahal is the only BJP-held assembly segment part of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. The remaining six segments are with the AIMIM.
In the last two elections, Owaisi had defeated BJP candidate Bhagvanth Rao by a handsome margin in Hyderabad seat.
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BJP announces 9 candidates, suspense over 8 more
The BJP’s first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha election has nine nominees from Telangana, including three of its sitting MPs.
The party has renominated Union minister and state unit chief G. Kishan Reddy from Secunderabad; Dharmapuri Arvind, who defeated Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha in 2019, from Nizamabad; and former Telangana BJP chief and firebrand leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar from Karimnagar.
The candidature of Soyam Bapu Rao, Adilabad MP, is kept in abeyance “as the party gauges his popularity and scrutinises his controversial remarks from earlier like his house was built with MPLADS (MP Local Area Development Scheme) funds,” a senior Telangana BJP leader told ThePrint.
Former BRS minister Eatala Rajender, who lost from KCR-held Gajwel and his sitting assembly seat Huzurabad in the Telangana assembly polls last year, will be fighting from Malkajgiri. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy won the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
Senior BJP leader Muralidhar Rao reportedly also vied for the Malkajgiri seat.
The party has rewarded BRS turncoats who joined the BJP last week.
For instance, B.B. Patil, the sitting BRS MP from Zaheerabad, would be the BJP candidate from this constituency which borders Karnataka. Similarly, Pothuganti Bharat Prasad, son of BRS Nagarkurnool MP P. Ramulu, would be the BJP candidate for this seat reserved for SCs.
Former BRS MP Narsaiah Goud, who joined the BJP during the Munugode by-poll in November 2022, would be the BJP candidate from Bhuvanagiri.
Another former BRS MP, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, would fight again from Chevella. Konda, a BRS MP in 2014, lost in 2019 on a Congress ticket and later joined the BJP.
The BJP is yet to announce its candidates for Adilabad, Khammam, Mahabubabad, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Peddapalli, and Warangal seats.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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