The 10 Left parties led by the CPI and the CPI(M), zeroed in on Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly called Gaddar, to take on the ruling TRS. The parties also seem to have got an assurance from the Telugu Desam Party and the Congress that they would not field their candidates if Gaddar agreed to be the Left candidate.
Gaddar is understood to have declined the offer, saying “he has been treading the path of armed struggle to achieve a new form of democracy and is very much against the present parliamentary form of democracy”. In fact, Gaddar had earlier tried to dissuade people from voting.
So, when the leaders from the Left parties contacted him and tried to persuade him, Gaddar not only turned down their offer, but also told them, “How can I seek votes now when I had asked people not to vote for anyone and any party?”
The CPI state secretary, Chada Venkat Reddy, said, “We thought Gaddar would be the best candidate for the Warangal Lok Sabha seat. He is from the region and he has been the real face of the Telangana movement for many decades.
“Since the 10 Left parties have decided to field only one candidate, it would be nice to have him. We are continuing our efforts.”