Hyderabad: It was a bittersweet day for the Podila family as 22-year-old Nikshith won the election as ward member, while his father, Venkanna, lost from Miryalaguda municipality in Nalgonda. Both father and son contested as independent candidates after the Congress allegedly denied them tickets. While Nikshith contested from ward 26, his father was a candidate from ward 40.“Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers won in the last elections and worked for the development of their respective wards. I want to follow in their footsteps,” Nikshith told TOI. Nikshith secured 575 votes and defeated the BRS candidate by a margin of 118 votes. He said he would take up development works to ensure that locals do not face any problems.“We promised people that we will work on the foundation laid by my grandmother. She ensured proper drainage facilities, installation of CCTVs, and separate dustbins. Now, it’s my turn to address other civic issues,” he added.He also said that he would stand by families during times of grief by bearing the expenses of last rites in the event of deaths in the ward. “After completing my BA in Hyderabad, I returned to the village. People have seen me, and they know what I am capable of and what I have done for them,” he said. Nikshith’s father lost the election by a margin of 39 votes. While he secured 596 votes, his opponent, Mittapalli Sridevi of the Congress, secured 635 votes.
