Telangana polls: BRS still undecided on candidates for four seats

HYDERABAD: Two months after announcing almost all candidates for the Telangana Assembly elections, the ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) remained undecided on its nominees for three constituencies while there is a buzz about the change of candidate in one segment.

Though the BRS is much ahead of its rivals in announcing candidates and launching the campaign, the delay in announcing the candidates in three constituencies has led to confusion among its cadres.

BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had announced candidates for 115 out of 119 constituencies on August 21, more than 45 days before the announcement of the poll schedule.

Confident of a hat-trick, KCR retained almost all sitting legislators. The sitting MLAs were denied tickets in eight constituencies, including Kamareddy, from where CM KCR will be contesting in addition to Gajwel, which he currently represents.

Sitting MLA Mynampalli Hanumantha Rao was renominated from Malkajgiri constituency but he later resigned from the party as his demand for party ticket to his son Rohith Rao from Medak was not accepted by KCR. The father-son duo recently joined Congress, which fielded them from Malkajgiri and Medak respectively.

BRS replaced Hanumantha Rao with Marri Rajasekhara Reddy as its candidate from Malkajgiri. Son-in-law of Labour Minister Malla Reddy, Rajasekhar Reddy had unsuccessfully contested from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency as the BRS candidate in 2019.

In Jangaon, one of the segments where the BRS had not announced its candidates, sitting MLA Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy was insisting that the party should retain him as its candidate while MLC P. Rajeshwar Reddy wanted to enter the fray. An agreement was reached after BRS appointed Yadagiri Reddy as Chairman of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC). Rajeshwar Reddy has received the B-form from the party.

Narsapur, Goshamahal and Nampally are the other constituencies where BRS has not yet announced its candidates.

In Nampally constituency in Hyderabad, AIMIM and Congress are locked in a direct fight. The BRS is said to be considering the name of someone who can damage the prospects of Congress, thus helping its friendly party AIMIM.

Multiple aspirants for tickets in Narsapur and Goshamahal have made the choice difficult for BRS leadership.

The BRS is distributing B-forms among candidates much before the notification date to avoid last-minute confusion in filing nominations. It has already handed over nominations to 109 candidates.

Though the party has already announced candidates for Charminar, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, Karwan, Malakpet and Bahadurpura segments, the party has still not given the B-forms to them. All these six seats are currently held by AIMIM.

In Narsapur, sitting MLA C. Madan Reddy and former Minister Sunitha Lakshma Reddy are the major contenders for BRS ticket. Sunitha Lakshma Reddy had contested the 2018 election on Congress ticket but had lost to Madan Reddy. She later switched loyalties to BRS, which rewarded her with the post of chairperson of state women’s commission.

In Alampur (SC), the BRS had already decided to field sitting MLA V. M. Abraham. However, due to strong demand from his rivals within the party, the party leadership is mulling a change.

MLC Challa Venkatrami Reddy, who is election incharge for the constituency, is demanding the leadership to give the ticket to someone else. Former MP Manda Jagannadham is also demanding the ticket for himself or for his son.