In a noteworthy development, a wave of doctors is seeking to transition into the realm of politics, vying for electoral tickets from various political parties in the former Adilabad district. The question on everyone’s minds: Can these medical practitioners translate their understanding of healthcare into effective public representation?
Among the contenders, Dr. Ganesh Rathod, hailing from Mancherial town, emerges as a prominent figure, representing the Congress party. Dr. Rathod sets his sights on the Asifabad Assembly constituency, a reserved seat for Scheduled Tribes. He has been actively engaged in community service initiatives and is prominently involved in Congress events, most recently taking a lead role in organizing a public gathering in Indervelli.
Dr. Neelakanteshwar Rao, an accomplished ENT surgeon based in Mancherial district, leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of securing a Congress ticket. His aspirations center on the Mancherial Assembly segment.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ashok, also from the same town, aspires to venture into politics, targeting the Boath Assembly constituency, another seat reserved for ST candidates. Both Dr. Rao and Dr. Ashok are frontrunners for their respective party tickets in these constituencies.
In a bid to test the political waters, Dr. A Swarna Reddy of Nirmal town, Dr. P Harish Rao from Kaghaznagar, and Dr. P Rama Devi from Bhainsa had previously contested in the 2018 State Assembly elections. Dr. Swarna and Dr. Rama Devi ran on the BJP ticket, while Dr. Harish was the Congress nominee. Despite their efforts, victory eluded them. Dr. Swarna subsequently joined the BRS, while Dr. Harish shifted his allegiance to the BJP. It is anticipated that both Dr. Rama Devi and Dr. Harish will be nominated by the saffron party to contest from the Sirpur (T) and Mudhole segments.
Adding further intrigue to the political landscape, Dr. Samudrala Venugopala Chary, a seasoned politician with a medical background, had previously secured victory in the Adilabad Parliament constituency, representing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on three occasions. He also served as an MLA for the Nirmal Assembly constituency for three terms. Currently, Dr. Chary holds the position of Chairman at the Telangana State Irrigation Development Corporation (TSIDC) and is considered a senior leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
