On the Hyderabad political scene only one prominent leader is conspicuous by his absence. Every senior leader is busy meeting local leaders, organizing meetings, opposing elimination of voters or at least meeting the chief electoral officer (CEO) Bhanwar Lal or B Janardhan Reddy , GHMC commissioner and returning officer to make their existent felt in the twin cities. However, this leader alone is not to be seen anywhere- in his constituency or at his party office or at any of his addas in Hyderabad. Guess who is he? He could be none other than once strongman of Khairtabad, Hyderabad- Danam Nagender. When Congress is breaking its head to formulate a strategy for GHMC where its writ ran large for two terms, in association with MIM though, Danam is to be seen nowhere around. Danam, as he is popular in the whole city, lost the election in 2014 and along with it his face in his constituency. There has been talk that TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao is wooing Danam into TRS in view of GHMC elections. Handling Danam would help the party in a big way in Khiratabab and Jubilee Hills Assembly segments. Danam with his army of followers can take care of certain areas even outside his fiefdom -Khairatabad and Jubilee. The only occasion he was seen was at his daughter’s marriage ceremony. And later he disappeared from the radar triggering intense political speculation about his moves in the Hyderabad. Every senior leader of the party-including S Jaipal Reddy, had participated in the Warangal byelection. But Danam did not show up.
Why? Is he jumping the wall? Sometime back Danam himself clarified that he was not switching sides and would continue in the Congress party. Danam is not an ordinary former MLA. He holds very important position in the party. He is not only the president of Greater Hyderabad Congress committee but also in-charge of Khairatabad assembly segment party affairs. This is exactly the reason for Congress’ worry. What is he up to? Last week he made lightning appearance to pay tributes to Jyothiba Phule on the occasion of birth anniversary of the great social reformer and from the very next moment he turned incommunicado. Gandhi Bhavan sources told telugu360.com that some senior Congress leaders had frantically tried to establish contact with him but in vain. Danam’s non-cooperation, the party leaders feel, will seriously cripple the party’s efforts to regain the GHMC in the ensuing polls.
The talk in the party circles is that Danam is held ‘political prisoner’ by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. For some inexplicable reason Danam is in the grip of TRS. Some suspect an agreement between KCR and Danam. KCR is said to have invited Danam to TRS and work for the party in GHMC polls like Talasani Krishna Yadav of TDP. But, sources said Danam is not interested to switch over. Consequently KCR has reportedly asked him to maintain low key at least during GHMC elections or go on some foreign tour with one pretext or the other.
