Tirupati : A trusted Congress leader till 2023, Mohammed Shajahan Basha finally switched allegiance to TDP which paid dividends to him in the recent elections as he recorded a victory from Madanapalle.
This is the second victory for him after 2009 when he won on Congress ticket.
His case was peculiar as he had to be out of the race in the 2004 elections despite managing the Congress high command and got ticket. His nomination was rejected as there was no signature on the B-form.
After the bifurcation of the State, Shajahan contested as Congress MP candidate from Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency but lost deposit. After 2014, he was appointed Congress party in-charge in Karnataka and even worked in AICC.
Undeterred by the result of earlier election, he contested as MLA again from Madanapalle on Congress ticket though the party already lost ground in the state post bifurcation in 2019 but was defeated by his own brother and YSRCP candidate Nawaz Basha. Still he continued in the same party till he finally joined TDP when he took part in Nara Lokesh Yuva Galam padayatra.
The party reposed faith and gave ticket to him this year. However, he could win with a little over 5,000 votes majority only.
He has been continuing his father’s transport business and now operates around 50 buses. Shajahan was known for his strict behaviour in extracting work from his employees. Shajahan was said to have protected the Wakf lands in the constituency and worked for the welfare of Muslim community.