Warangal Bypoll: Sarve Is New Congress Candidate

Former union minister and Congress senior leader Sarve Satyanarayana today filed his nomination for the Warangal by-poll as the replacement candidate for Siricilla Rajaiah, who was arrested today.

Satyanarayana had to file his nomination followed by a tragic incident of alleged gas leakage and fire in Hanumakonda in Rajaiah's house in which the latter's daughter-in-law Sarika and her three sons Abhinav, Ayan and Sriyan were burnt alive, and which led to Rajaiah, his wife and son getting arrested.

Sarika allegedly killed herself and her sons by turning on the gas in her kitchen and lighting a flame. The needle of suspicion pointed to Rajaiah's family since in 2014 Sarika had filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws alleging domestic harassment. That resulted in Rajaiah being arrested along with his wife and son in connection with the incident, and opting out of the electoral race.

Satyanarayana filed his nomination in Warangal, with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president and former minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah accompanying him.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader K Jana Reddy said that the incident that took place in Rajaiah's residence was sad.

Reddy said that the police were interrogating the case, and that it would not affect the prospects of the Congress party in the upcoming Warangal Lok Sabha by-election.

Extending sympathy to Rajaiah's family, Reddy said that the incident was purely a family matter and personal even though Rajaiah belonged to the Congress.

Reddy urged the Congress party workers to work hard for the victory of the new Party candidate Sarve Satyanarayana, and said that the Party leaders would support them fully.

Another senior Telangana Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that the Party had no link with the incident that took place in Rajaiah's residence. He said that the law would take its own course.