HYDERABAD: The ruling BRS is preparing the cadre at the ground level for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Simultaneously, it is also announcing candidates for several seats to steal a march over its rivals, BJP and Congress. Party working president and IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao and Finance and Health Minister T Harish Rao have recently been touring various districts, indirectly announcing the names of candidates who will be contesting on BRS tickets.
Rama Rao and Harish Rao have dropped subtle hints about who would be the BRS candidates in more than 15 constituencies. They are Madhavaram Krishna Rao (Kukatpally), Gandra Venkataramana Reddy (Bhupalapally), Aruri Ramesh (Wardhannapet), Voditela Satish (Husnabad), P Koushik Reddy (Huzurabad), Gangual Kamalakar (Karimnagar), Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar (Warangal West), Nallamothu Bhaskar Rao (Miryalaguda), Chanti Kranti Kiran (Andhole), Guvvla Balaraju (Achampet), Ala Venkateswar Reddy (Deverakadra), Jajula Surender (Yellareddy), Manchireddy Kishan Reddy (Ibrahimpatnam), Sandra Venkata Veeraiah (Sattupalli), A Jeevan Reddy (Armoor), Ganesh Gupta (Nizamabad Urban), Shakeel (Bodhan) and Boinaplly Vinod Kumar (Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat).
According to the sources, the majority of sitting MLAs are worried about whether they would get tickets or not. Hoping that they would, they are spending money for the chief minister’s and ministers’ programmes in their constituencies, though they do not know whether they are in the reckoning or not.
Funds crunch
The MLAs are finding it difficult to organise party programmes to supplement the government’s State Formation Day celebrations. At the village level, sarpanches are unable to organise the celebrations due to a funds crunch.
One senior MLA told TNIE that they were spending money on programmes, but they there is no way for them to know if tickets were confirmed for them or not. Some of them are tensed up as they have several competitors for party tickets in their constituencies. They are also worried about the surveys being commissioned by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on their performance.
Till now, the names of the candidates hinted at by Rama Rao and Harish Rao are those who do not have any competition and those who are in the good books of the chief minister. Now, the real and crucial exercise will begin for seats where there is intense competition. All aspirants are nervous as they are not sure who will be preferred by the leadership to contest in their respective constituencies.
Sources, meanwhile, revealed that the majority of MLAs are not ready to spend money on party programmes without getting a clear indication that tickets have been confirmed for them to contest the elections.
Nervous aspirants
Till now, the names of the candidates hinted at by Ministers KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao are those who do not have any competition and those who are in the good books of the chief minister. Now, the real and crucial exercise will begin for seats where there is intense competition. All aspirants are said to be nervous as they are not sure who will be preferred by the leadership to contest in their respective constituencies.