Telangana Elections: 'Will not join Cong, but will support its fight for secularism', says Gaddar

Revolutionary Telugu poet Gummadi Vittal Rao said he is willing to contest against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao if his candidature is supported by political parties.

File Photo- Former Indian Naxal (Maoist communist group) leader Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as 'Gaddar' / Courtesy: AFP PHOTO/NOAH SEELAM (Photo by NOAH SEELAM / AFP)

New Delhi: Revolutionary Telugu poet Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as 'Gaddar', who was once pursued by law enforcement agencies, is now hoping to turn lawmaker by contesting in the December 7 Telangana Assembly election. He said he is willing to contest against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao if his candidature is supported by political parties. Gaddar has not formally approached any party on the issue. The balladeer, who recently met AICC president Rahul Gandhi and his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, said he has been on a mission for the past two years to "save the Constitution, save India and secularism" and had been campaigning throughout the country through his songs and cultural activities. "I travelled about 1.5 lakh km and moved many people through my songs and speeches. There is a threat on the democratic rights of the people of the country," he told PTI. Governments at the Centre and in Telangana were slipping into feudal and caste systems based on the 'Manu script,' he alleged. Manu is a religious mythological figure worshipped by Hindus. “Now, at the age of 70, I have registered my name in the voters' list. If all the opposition parties support me, then I will contest against KCR. I appealed through the media. But I have so far not got a response from any political party," the septuagenarian said. Gaddar said he has met several leaders of all political parties in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to take his message across to them. The poet said he along with his wife and son met Rahul Gandhi after he came to know that the AICC leader also 'supported' his movement. He, however, said he would not join Congress, but support the party in taking forward the 'save secularism' concept across the nation. Gaddar spent most of his life working with underground revolutionary groups and was constantly on the run from security agencies and law enforcement agencies. The poet-cum-singer is also founder of 'Jana Natya Mandali,' the cultural wing of the erstwhile Peoples War Group outfit. He was shot at by unknown persons at his Venkatapuram residence in Secunderabad in 1997. Though doctors removed some bullets from his body, one bullet still remains in his spinal cord.