Telangana: Gaddar’s Daughter Eyes Congress Ticket for Polls

Hyderabad: Vennela, daughter of revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, who passed away recently, wants to contest the next month’s assembly elections in Telangana.

She urged the Congress party to give her ticket from Secunderabad Cantonment. She along with her mother Vimala Rao addressed a Press conference in Hyderabad on Saturday to convey that she is ready to contest the elections.

With many leaders within the Congress party keen to contest from Secunderabad Cantonment, she told the Congress party that if given a chance, she will contest from this constituency.

Vennela said Gaddar wanted the revolution to come through votes and in his last days had backed the Congress party. She said Gaddar wanted to contest the election.

Vimala said the Congress leaders initially assured ticket to the family but have now become silent. She wanted the party leadership to give clarity.

Last month, top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had consoled family members of Gaddar on the sidelines of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Hyderabad. They recalled Gaddar’s struggle for people’s rights.

Gaddar had passed away on August 6 after a brief illness. He was 74.

The poet and singer’s last major public appearance was on July 2 in Khammam when he had hugged Rahul Gandhi at a public meeting of the Congress party.

After his demise, Sonia Gandhi had sent a letter to his wife, expressing her heartfelt condolences. She wrote that Gaddar played a pivotal role in using art and culture as a means of expression to bring attention to the struggles of the marginalised and oppressed in the society.