HYDERABAD: The road ahead for the BRS in facing the upcoming local body and Lok Sabha elections appears very bumpy.After its debilitating defeat in the recent Assembly elections, it now has the daunting task of revitalising its cadre. It will have to win back the ground it lost to the Congress in the recent Assembly elections.The BRS has suffered heavy losses in rural Assembly seats as the Congress made a clean sweep of them.
According to sources, the party is likely to field Boinapally Vinod Kumar for Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat. He was elected from this constituency in 2014 but lost it to BJP’s Bandi Sanjay Kumar in 2019.The pink party is likely to field former MP Gadem Nagesh in Adilabad. Sitting BRS MPs Pasunuri Dayakar from Warangal and M Kavitha from Mahabubabad might be renominated.
While Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy vacated Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat after his election to the Assembly, the BRS too has to look for a fresh candidate. BRS nominee Marri Rajasekhar Reddy, who contested against Revanth Reddy in Malkajgiri Lok Sabha election in 2019, also has been elected from Malkajgiri Assembly constituency in the recent elections. From Khammam, sitting MP Nama Nageswara Rao is expected to contest again on the party ticket. From Nizamabad, former MP and present MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha will seek election to the Lok Sabha.
Madan Reddy’s sacrifice, pink party’s promise
In Medak, an interesting discussion is going on in BRS circles on whether KCR might contest from here for Lok Sabha, but the party had already promised the ticket to former MLA Madan Reddy for sacrificing Narsapur seat to V Sunitha Laxma Reddy. From Zaheerbad, sitting MP BB Patil has bright chances of getting the ticket. At the same time, the party might change him if it finds a better candidate.
Ranjith Reddy may seek re-election from Chevella
Talasani Sai Kiran Yadav is expecting the BRS ticket to contest from Secunderabad. He contested unsuccessfully against Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy in the 2019 elections. But the party is giving serious thought to fielding Dasoju Sravan or some other senior leader. From Chevella, sitting MP
G Ranjith Reddy is likely to contest again. From Mahbubnagar, the party is likely to field sitting MP M Srinivas Reddy.
In Nagarkurnool, the party is reportedly contemplating replacing sitting MP Ramulu for not supporting the BRS candidate in the recent Assembly elections. He did not cooperate with the party after he was denied a ticket for the Assembly election.
In Nalgonda, there is a discussion about whether the party would field Gutha Sukhender Reddy or his son. From Bhongir, former MLA Budida Bikshamaiah is likely to contest. From the Peddapalli segment, sitting MP Venkatesh Neta is likely to seek re-election.
The party lost all Assembly seats in a few parliamentary constituencies, like Peddapalli, where the Congress won all seven Assembly seats. In Mahbubnagar too, the Congress swept all the Assembly seats.
In Bhongir, Nalgonda and Warangal, the Congress won six seats each. In Mahabubabad, the Congress won six segments and the BRS ended up with just one seat.
In Khammam, the Congress and its ally CPI won seven Assembly segments. On the other hand, in Zaheerabad, the Congress picked up four while the BRS won two and BJP one seat. In Medak, the BRS won six Assembly seats, and the Congress just one. The constituency is part of erstwhile Medak, which is KCR’s home district.
It’s a battle between Congress and BJP?
An impression is gaining ground that in the Lok Sabha polls, the BRS may not be an important player as the fight would be between Congress and the BJP. This is because the purpose of the election would be whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi should get a third term or not.
The BRS, however, is anxious to retain at least its nine sitting seats or it may result in a further slide in its fortunes where even its existence could become a major challenge.In the local body elections, the Congress may have an edge as it is the cadre at the village level that decide the outcome of the elections. As the Congress is now in power, it may have an upper hand over the BRS.
Advantage Cong in local body polls?
In the local body elections, the Congress may have an edge as it is the cadre at the village level that decide the outcome of the elections. As the Congress is now in power, it may have an upper hand over the BRS.