For the reasons best known to them, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the main opposition Congress parties are yet to make an official announcement of their candidate for Dubbak bye-election, scheduled for November 3.
As on Monday morning, only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its candidate — M. Raghunandan Rao, who had unsuccessfully contested the election twice in the past.
The TRS has indicated that the party would allot the ticket to the family members of sitting MLA S. Ramalinga Reddy, who passed away in August. The TRS leadership had said that the party ticket will be given to Ms, Sujatha, wife of Ramalinga Reddy. This was also made clear to those aspiring for party nomination in this election. However, party has not made any official announcement so far in this regard.
Finance Minister T. Harish Rao has already started the election campaign without naming the candidate and has been asking people to vote for the party saying that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been focusing on welfare and development. The ruling party has also been focusing on oustees of Mallannasagar. On their part, oustees from villages that are getting submerged by the irrigation projects have been joining the party in the presence of Mr. Harish Rao and Lok Sabha member K. Prabhakar Reddy.
Coming to the Congress party, the party was unable to find a suitable candidate to take on the ruling party. Initially, the name of Gajwel former MLA T. Narsa Reddy was floated, but it was kept on hold. Since then the party has been trying to lure Cheruku Srinivas Reddy, son of former minister late Cheruku Muthyam Reddy, who had a good hold on the constituency.
According to sources, Congress State affairs in-charge Manickam Tagore and former deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha held discussions with Mr. Srinivas Reddy in this regard and offered to give him the party nomination. He has reportedly told the Congress leaders that he would take a decision on Tuesday after consulting his supporters. The Congress, in all probability will make an official announcement on Tuesday.
“As the TRS doors were almost closed for elections, the joining of Srinivas Reddy will be a win-win for both Congress and him. A decision will be made tomorrow and it is likely to be only a formality,” said a source close to these developments.