Date:21/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/21/stories/2008052157910300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

From policing to politics

J.B.S.Umanadh

‘People are fed up with TRS and are in a mood for a change’

Sangareddy: A native of Siddipet, Bairi Anjaiah Mudiraj was working as the Gadwal Deputy Superintendent of Police when he was called by the Congress party to plunge into active politics and contest from Siddipet in the by elections. It is said that his close relationship with the Pradesh Congress Chief D. Srinivas helped him to get the nomination and seizable Mudiraj population in the assembly segment became an added advantage. Anjaiah did bachelors degree in science from Government Degree College and completed B. Ed later on. He joined the police force as a Sub inspector in 1976 and worked in that position in Nalgonda for almost 10 years. He was promoted as Circle

Inspector in 1990 and as DSP in 2003. He worked in Medak and Hyderabad districts and then in the Cyber Crime wing of the CID branch.

Pitted against T. Harish Rao the nephew of TRS chief K. Chandrsekhar Rao, Anjaiah has a tough task in his hands. Speaking to The Hindu Anjaiah said that he would be remembered as giant killer after the elections. “People of Siddipet are fed up with TRS and are in a mood for a change” he said.

He said that the response from people is tremendous. However he knows that defeating Harish in the rural Siddipet is hard. “Cheruku Mutyam Reddy (TDP) got more votes than Harish in Siddipet town during last elections but Harish did well in the rural areas,” Anjiah said.

He hopes that the urban voter would favour him and splitting the Telangana vote from TRS would turn the tide in his favour. Anjaiah who is campaigning from 5am to 10pm every day said that he is comfortable donning the new role.

“It is public life either way” he said comparing policing to politics. He said that as a police he could do justice only to the victims, but in political life he could do more to all sections of the society.