Contrary to the speculation of political pundits that the TRS leadership might deny ticket to some of the sitting MLAs where anti-incumbency spirit was high, party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday sprang a surprise, announcing party ticket for all the nine TRS MLAs in the erstwhile undivided district.
It caught the Opposition and other aspirants within the party off guard. The party had bagged all the nine Assembly and two Lok Sabha (Nizamabad and Zaheeraba) seats in the last general elections. Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency has five Assembly segments in the district and two, Jagityal and Korutla, in Jagityal district. The Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituency has four Assembly segements – Banswada, Yellareddy, Jukkal and Kamareddy – in Kamareddy district and three – Narayankhed, Zaheerabad and Andhol – in Sangareddy district.
In Yellareddy, former MLA Janardhan Goud, who had joined the TRS before the elections, made unsuccessful efforts to secure the ticket in the place of E. Ravinder Reddy. He quit the Congress on KCR’s promise to secure him MLC post in the last general elections. Having waited all these years, Mr. Goud is said to be wondering whether to continue in the party or join Congress or BJP; he has a considerable influence in the constituency.
Similarly, before the announcement of candidature of sitting MLAs, there were rumours that candidates would either be shifted or changed in Nizamabad urban and rural as well in Bodhan. In Nizamabad rural, the sitting MLA Bajireddy Govardhan wanted to field his elder son and TRS youth leader Jagan in his stead. In Nizamabad urban, political analysts thought that B. Ganesh Gupta, who had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad in 2009, would contest for Lok Sabha this time in the event of MP K. Kavitha choosing to fight for Assembly. In Banswada, Agricutlure Minister P. Srinivas Reddy holds sway and second in line is his son P. Bhaskar Reddy.
Since the political scenario for ruling party in the old district looks favourable, candidates have already plunged into campaign mode taking out rallies.
Bigala Ganesh Gupta on Friday launched canvassing by taking out a rally from Saibabad temple in Madhavanagar.