HYDERABAD: Ever since the Telangana Rashtra Samithi has announced the list of 105 contestants for the Assembly elections, the party has been has been facing severe backlash from its leaders who were denied tickets. In the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency, the disgruntled TRS leaders are making no bones about their disappointment and have started campaigning along with their supporters against their own party members. These handful rebel leaders are also chalking out action plans to contest as independent candidates.
The sitting former MLA G Sayanna who had won the 2014 elections on a TDP ticket with about 60 percent votes, later deflected from the TDP to TRS, has been given the Cantonment constituency. While Sayanna has begun campaigning in the constituency, so has another partyman, albeit, against the former. This rebel is Gajjela Nagesh, TRS Cantonment constituency in-charge, who had been hopeful of a ticket from the constituency.
Speaking to Express, Sayanna rued that the party workers and supporters were complaining that negative campaigning and fractions in the party could prove detrimental for the party in the constituency. “All party workers and elected representatives are supporting me but Gajjela Nagesh, party in charge has started a campaign against me. However, he doesn’t have supporters,” he said. The party has declared that there will be no change in candidates, added Sayanna.
Nagesh is still hopeful that the high command will make alterations. “I have been working for the party since its inception. My supporters will not accept this seat allocation. They want me to contest in the election,” he told Express.