The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Sunday announced Surabhi Vani Devi, daughter of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, as its candidate for the upcoming polls to the Telangana Legislative Council from the Graduates' constituency. TRS President and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao decided Vani Devi's candidature, party sources said. Vani Devi, an artist and academic, will file her nomination papers on Monday for the Mahabubnagar -Rangareddy- Hyderabad Graduates' constituency.

Born in Vangara in Karimnagar district, Vani Devi is founder of Sri Venkateshwara Group of Institutions. After her graduation from JNTU in 1986, she became a teacher. An artist herself, Vani Devi believes that art is inherent in each person and she strives through her institutions that good quality art education is made available for all those who seek it.

As the chairperson of the Surabhi Educational Society, she has been felicitated for her work many times. The Telangana Government in the year 2016, honoured her by conferring her with the International Women’s Achievement Award.

She has been a social activist holding many posts including the General Secretary post of Swamy Ramananda Tirtha Memorial Committee, an NGO. She is also the recipient of the Pratibha Puraskar awarded by the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University in 2012. 

Biennial elections to the Legislative Council from two Graduates' constituencies would be held on March 14.

The TRS government has been organising year-long centenary celebrations of late Narasimha Rao, a native of Telangana, since last June. The two seats fell vacant following the completion of the term of Ramachandra Rao of the BJP and P Rajeshwar Reddy of the TRS.

The TRS has once again fielded Rajeshwar Reddy from Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam constituency.

The BJP has already named Ramachandra Rao as its candidate from Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar seat while the Congress has announced Chinna Reddy as its candidate.