NIZAMABAD: With Congress intensifying political activities in the State in order to prepare its cadre for the ensuing Assembly polls, number of ticket aspirants is increasing in several Assembly constituencies in erstwhile united Nizamabad district. Hence, it would not be an easy task for the party leadership to unite the leaders in each Assembly segment, who are vying with one another for getting party ticket, in the days to come.
The united Nizamabad district has nine Assembly constituencies. In three segments, party heavyweights would contest the next polls. In the remaining segments, particularly in five constituencies (barring the SC reserved segment Jukkal), more than three leaders are in the race in each Assembly constituency for getting the party tickets to contest the ensuing elections.
The reason for the growing demand for party tickets among leaders is that the success of some of the protest programmes recently organised by the party leadership with farmers and other sections of people in the district has given confidence to the local leaders that they can take on the TRS in the next polls. Further, some of the TDP seniors joined the party along with A Revanth Reddy recently. Thus, the way leaders from other political parties joined the grand-old party and the response got to the protests seem to be creating a hope among party leaders that their party might win the ensuing polls.
Party leaders feel that former minister P Sudharshan Reddy (Bodhan), ex-Speaker KR Suresh Reddy (Balkonda) and Leader of the opposition in the State Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir (Kamareddy) will surely get party tickets from the same segments to contest the ensuing Assembly elections. Hence, leaving these three segments, ticket aspirants are eying Nizamabad (Urban), Nizamabad (Rural), Yellareddy, Banswada and Armur Assembly constituencies.
In Nizamabad Urban segment, TPCC general secretary B Mahesh Kumar Goud, TPCC former secretary N Rathnakar, DCC President Taher Bin Hamdan are competing with one another to get party tickets. Likewise, in Nizamabad Rural Assembly constituency, more than two leaders are in the race, who include MLC A Lalitha and A Narsa Reddy, who recently joined the party from the TDP.
Balkonda former MLA E Anil is also facing tough competition from newcomers in the party. Same situation is prevailing in Banswada and Yellareddy Assembly constituencies in the district. However, the district has one SC reserved constituency, ie Jukkal, where there is no much competition among leaders.
With the State set to enter the election year, all the local leaders are becoming more active in party programmes in order to draw the attention of party high command. Further, senior leaders are trying to woo more leaders from other parties in selected constituencies. This might further increase rush for party tickets in the district.
DCC president Taher Bin Hamdan told Express that the growing demand for party tickets shows that Congress is regaining hold on the district.