The ruling TRS continues to play its cards close to its chest on naming candidates for 14 seats, including eight in Greater Hyderabad. Of the eight seats, four – Musheerabad, Khairatabad, Goshamhal and Amberpet – are held by the BJP, two – Charminar and Malakpet – by AIMIM, Malkajgiri and Medchal – by TRS. For each of the eight seats, 4-5 aspirants from TRS are in the race. Party sources said GHMC corporators, their family members, relatives of ministers, MLAs, MPs and senior leaders are all in the contention. Going by trends, the party leadership is unwilling to give tickets to GHMC corporators except in cases where there are no strong leaders.
Sitting TRS MLA C Kanaka Reddy’s candidature has been kept on hold in Malkajgiri owing to his poor rating in party surveys. His ill-health is also one of the reasons. While Reddy is seeking ticket for his daughter-in-law Vijayashanti Reddy, TRS MLC Mynampally Hanmantha Rao, TRS leader and Vinayakanagar corporator Pushpalatha’s husband Parashuram Reddy are in the race.
Similarly, sitting MLA from Medchal, Sudheer Reddy, may not be fielded, while Malkajgiri MP Malla Reddy’s name is doing the rounds . Party leaders – Nakka Prabhakar Goud and Singireddy Harivardhan Reddy – are also eyeing the seat. Malla Reddy is learnt to have pitched for another ticket for one of his family members, but the party is reluctant to oblige him.
The TRS is yet to finalise the candidate for Musheerabad segment represented by BJP state president K Laxman. Home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy’s son-in-law and Ramnagar corporator Srinivas Reddy is frontrunner, while Mutha Gopal, who unsuccessfully contested on TRS ticket in 2014, is again seeking a ticket.
There is stiff competition among TRS leaders for the coveted Khairatabad seat. P Vijaya Reddy, former Congress minister P Janardhan Reddy’s daughter and Khairatabad corporator, and Vijayalakshmi Gadwal, party secretary general K Keshava Rao’s daughter and Banjara Hills corporator, party leader Manne Govardhan and former Congress minister Danam Nagender, who switched over to TRS, are jostling for the party ticket.
Former CBI director K Vijayarama Rao is also seeking a ticket for one of his family members. But the TRS is yet to finalise a suitable candidate to take on sitting BJP MLA Ch Ramachandra Reddy.
When it comes to Goshamahal, Nagender is likely to be fielded against sitting BJP MLA Raja Singh. Goshamahal TRS corporator Mukesh Singh, Musi Riverfront Development Corporation chairman Prem Singh Rathod and party leader Nandakishore Vyas are also in the race.
In Amberpet, the party is at its wits’ end. Edla Sudhakar Reddy, Golnaka corporator Kaleru Padma’s husband Kaleru Venkatesh and former minister Krishna Yadav are eyeing TRS ticket to test their luck against sitting BJP MLA G Kishan Reddy.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on TRS leadership to reconsider the party’s nominees in Serlingampally, Kukatpally, Uppal, Rajendranagar and Maheshwaram constituencies too. #KhabarLive
