Sarve Satyanarayana Congress candidate for Warangal by-election

Former union minister of state Sarve Satyanarayana on Wednesday filed nomination as the Congress party candidate for November 21 by-election to Warangal (SC) Lok Sabha constituency.

Satyanarayana filed the nomination after Siricilla Rajaiah opted out following death of his daughter-in-law and three grandsons in mysterious fire at his house.

Satyanarayana, who rushed to Warangal from Hyderabad on the direction of party leadership, filed his nomination papers a few minutes before the deadline.

A two-time MP, he had served as minister of state for road transport in UPA-II government.

The 61-year-old leader was keen to contest the by-election but the leadership decided to field Rajaiah, a local leader, who had earlier represented the same constituency.

Rajaiah, who had filed nomination on Monday, conveyed to the party leadership on Wednesday that he will not be able to contest the by-election in the present situation.

Sarika and her three children Abhinav, 7, Ayan, 3, and Sriyan, 3, were charred to death in the fire in Rajaiah's house in Warangal town early Wednesday. Police have detained the former MP, his wife and son for questioning.

The by-election to Warangal constituency, reserved for scheduled castes, was necessitated by the resignation of Telangana Rashtra Samithi's Kadiam Srihari after he was made deputy chief minister of the state.