Telangana Jagruthi, led by Kalvakuntla Kavitha, has decided to contest upcoming local body elections in Telangana using the All India Forward Bloc's lion symbol, despite not being a registered political party yet.
Telangana Jagruthi, an organization headed by former MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, plans to enter the electoral fray in the state's local body elections through an alliance with the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB). This arrangement allows the group to use AIFB's lion symbol, as Telangana Jagruthi is still in the process of registering as a full-fledged political party with the Election Commission, a procedure expected to take up to three more months.
Earlier this week, Kavitha had informed reporters that her organization would not field candidates in the municipal polls, scheduled for February, since it lacked party status. Instead, she indicated support for other parties or candidates. However, pressure from grassroots leaders prompted a change. "Kavitha has obliged to her request. She is also of the view that the local body elections would be a ground to test the popular support at the grassroots level," a functionary said anonymously.
On Saturday, Kavitha met with AIFB representatives and finalized the understanding. Candidates will technically run under AIFB but campaign under the Telangana Jagruthi name. The organization will focus on districts with strong support, including the erstwhile combined Nizamabad district and parts of Medak, Warangal, Peddapalli, Mahabubnagar, and Nalgonda. In other areas, it will back AIFB nominees.
This move aims to build electoral presence at the local level while formal registration proceeds. The elections include municipal polls in February, followed by mandal parishad and zilla parishad polls.
