HYDERABAD: Unlike other political parties, there is not much hullabaloo in the ruling TRS for the Lok Sabha tickets, as TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will decide the candidates on his own.In contrast to this, a lot of activity like submitting applications for Lok Sabha candidatures and scrutiny of names was witnessed at Gandhi Bhavan. Even at the residence of AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, there was a huge rush for tickets. Lot of political activity is taking place at Naidu’s residence. But, in TRS, there is no such activity like submitting applications for candidatures.
Telangana Bhavan is literally devoid of any political activity. Except a mock polling for the Legislative Council polls on Tuesday morning, there is not much political activity or heat at Telangana Bhavan. The reason is that Rao will solely decide the candidatures and he is not accessible to anyone.
“KCR will decide the candidates on his own by going the merits and demerits of the candidates,” a party functionary said. Though there was a talk that KCR may drop some of the sitting MPs this time, there is no official confirmation so far.
It is expected that the first list of TRS Lok Sabha candidates will be announced by Rao before he kick-starts his election campaign from Karimnagar on March 17. There is also another talk that Rao may announce the list on March 18 and there is also a possibility that he may announce the names of all the 16 candidates in a single list.
Not correct list
In the Congress camp, some probable names are doing the rounds. However, Lok Sabha ticket aspirant Madhu Yashki Goud said on Tuesday that the list of Congress candidates being circulated in the social media was not correct. He said that the Congress’ official list of LS candidates would be announced only after AICC election committee meeting on Wednesday and appealed to the people not to be carried away by the list in circulation.
KCR to prefer Naveen for Malkajgiri ticket?
Speculation is rife that Women and Child Welfare Minister Ch Malla Reddy is lobbying with TRS to get the Malkajgiri ticket allotted for his son-in-law, Marri Rajasekhar Reddy. While this is so, Naveen Rao, a relative of TRS working president KT Rama Rao, is also said to be keen on contesting on TRS ticket from Malkajgiri, the largest constituency in the country.
However, according to party sources, TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to prefer Naveen Rao to Rajasekhar Reddy. Speaking to Express, Marri Rajshekhar Reddy said that “we are trying our best for TRS ticket.” Meanwhile, in the Congress camp, Kuna Srsailam Goud is hoping that the party will allot the ticket to him.