Cong replaces Rajaiah, fields Satyanarayana in Warangal

Four family members of former Congress MP Rajaiah died in a blaze that broke out at their house in the wee hours on Wednesday.

Warangal: Congress on Wednesday fielded former Union Minister of State, Sarve Satyanarayana, as the party candidate for the November 21 Lok Sabha bypoll here after Sircilla Rajaiah expressed his inability to contest following a tragedy in the family.

Four family members of former Congress MP Rajaiah, including his daughter-in-law Sarika and three grandchildren, died in a blaze that broke out at their house in the district here in the wee hours today.

Accompanied by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Satyanarayana, whose name was cleared by the party's central leadership, filed his papers on the last day of filing of nominations.

Rajaiah, his wife and son were taken into police custody this afternoon for questioning in connection with the incident.

"We have taken them to police station for questioning... no one has been arrested. After collecting evidence (post- mortem report) and facts, we will take further action," said Warangal City Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu.

He said that Rajaiah, his wife, Madhavi, and son, Anil Kumar, were among those inside the house when the incident happened.

Incidentally, a criminal case was filed against Rajaiah, his wife and son and another woman at Begumpet women's police station in Hyderabad in April last year following a complaint by Sarika that her husband and in-laws were harassing her for dowry. In the complaint, Sarika had also alleged that her husband was involved in an extra-marital affair.