With the seat sharing talks between the Congress, Telugu Desam Party and other parties reaching final stages, the TDP has drawn a list of its probable candidates, which will see most of its influential heavyweight leaders entering the fray in the ensuing Assembly elections.
The party leadership is into hard bargain with the Congress to secure 40 seats, but has climbed down its demand to 25. Ultimately, it might settle for anything between 15-20 constituencies, of which majority seats are those won by its candidates in the 2014 elections. Even after bifurcation of the State and subsequent 2014 general elections, the TDP managed to win 15 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats.
If the TDP sources are to be believed, it is keen that the Congress allot Serilingampally, Jubilee Hills, Kukatpally, Uppal, Rajendranagar, Malkajgiri, Qutubullapur, Nizamabad Rural, Armoor, Banswada, Khammam. Narsampet, Armoor, Sathupally, Kothagudem, Miryalaguda, Husnabad and few others as part of the seat sharing arrangements. In a bid to revive its fortunes in Telangana through the alliance, the TDP has identified its heavyweights. Senior leaders like party’s State president L. Ramana, former Minister Mandava Venkateswara Rao, Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, K. Dayakar Reddy, Revuri Prakash Reddy, E. Peddi Reddy, Aleti Annapurnamma or her son Mallikarjun Reddy, Arvind Kumar Goud, Veerender Goud, son of T. Devender Goud, and Nama Nageswara Rao to name a few are the likely candidates of the TDP.
Mr. Ramana may opt for Korutla seat instead of Jagtial which was won by T. Jeevan Reddy of the Congress last time. A TDP leader wishing anonymity said Mandava Venkateswara Rao had agreed to enter the fray from Nizamabad Rural and not Serilingampally as is being speculated. Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, who once represented Wanaparthy is likely to move to Devarakadra and Mr. Dayakar Reddy is likely to contest from Makthal.
Another TDP leader Mr. Revuri Prakash Reddy, who once represented Narsampet may have to forego the seat as it was won by Congress party’s Donthi Madhava Reddy in the last House. Congress is likely to ask him to shift to Warangal East seat.
With CPI’s Chada Venkat Reddy staking his claim on Husnabad seat, E. Peddi Reddy, a trade union leader, may opt for Jubilee Hills seat which the TDP wants. Former MP Nama Nageswara Rao’s name is tipped for the Khammam Assembly seat. M. Amarnatha Babu, a senior TDP leader from Nizamabad district, is aspiring for Bodhan seat but may shift to Banswada, a traditional TDP stronghold as the constituency has considerable Seemandhra population.
TDP leaders are exuding confidence that the grand alliance would surely pave way for the party’s comeback in Telangana. It plans to consolidate the Seemandhra voters taking advantage of the TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s vitriolic attack on AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
“Votes cast by the large population of people from Andhra and Rayalaseema settled in different districts particularly the Twin Cities and its surrounding areas will become crucial in the elections. Their swing can seal the fate of any party,” the source said. Leaders said the influence of the Seemandhra people can be seen in as many as 20 constituencies across the State.