Rebel factor worries parties

Dissidents, leaders who expected tickets and were left high and dry, unfurled the rebel flag. The rebels belonging to the four main political parties – Congress, TDP, BJP and TRS – filed their nominations against the official candidates when nominations closed on Wednesday for the April 30 elections in Telangana. The Congress achieved the record of having the maximum number of rebel candidates TDP and the BJP. The TRS has the least number of rebels who filed their papers against the official nominees. Miryalguda, Malkajgiri and Medchal Assembly constituencies have the maximum number of three rebels each. While the three rebels in Miryalguda belong to the Congress, rebels in Malkajgiri and Medchal belong to TDP.

Nizamabad

Of the nine Assembly seats in Nizamabad, TDP is contesting Balkonda, Armoor, Bodhan, Jukkal and Banswada seats after conceding Kamareddy, Nizamabad Urban & Rural and Yellareddy to BJP. For Nizamabad Lok Sabha, Yendala Lakshminarayana is the BJP candidate, Prodduturi Sadananda Reddy, an aspirant-turned-rebel. In Balkonda, BJP in-charge Muthyala Sunil Reddy, who failed to secure the nod, will remain either as a rebel or an independent. Same is the case with a ticket-seeker in Bodhan (allotted to TDP), Capt. Karunakar Reddy. In Jukkal, when Maddela Navin (TD) was given ticket, Pragna Kumar turned a rebel. TDP is facing the heat from rebels in Armoor. In Yellareddy (allotted to BJP), Subash Reddy is the TD rebel candidate. In the Congress, rebels are active in Yellareddy, Jukkal and Banswada. Though five competed for Yellareddy segment, the ticket was given to Nallamadugu Surender, a defector from TRS.

Warangal

In Warangal, DCC president D Madhava Reddy, PCC secretary Bukka Judson and Md Raziuddin are the rebel candidate posing problem for Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah in Janagaon constituency. Congress leader Rajarapu Pratap, who unsuccessfully contested the last by-election to Station Ghanpur will be challenging G Vijayarama Rao. Mahabubabad Parliament candidate and former minister P Balram Naik is facing threat from Congress ST Cell leader Bhukya Mangilal. In the TRS, Parkal sitting MLA M Bikshapathi, who was denied ticket, has filed his nomination challenging the official candidate, M Sahodhar Reddy. Another TRS leader, Nagurla Venkateswarlu, also filed his papers as an independent candidate for the same seat.

Mahabubnagar

TRS leader Syed Ibrahim, who joined the Congress recently, filed his papers as an independent candidate for the Mahabubnagar Assembly seat and the Lok Sabha seat as he was not given the Congress ticket. Another TRS leader Dr Amarender, a BC, filed nominations as an independent candidate for the Assembly seat after quitting the party.

Adilabad

District Congress Committee president C Ramachandra Reddy filed his nomination papers as a rebel candidate from Adilabad assembly seat. In Boath (SC) constituency, Komram Koteswar is the rebel candidate against Congress nominee Anil Jadhav. In Bellampally, Congress leaders Chinumula Shankar and former MLA A Sridevi decided to contest as rebels. So was the case with TDP leaders S Rajalingu and P Venkat and BJP leader Gandam Ramesh. In Sirpur, TRS leader Jabbar Khan filed papers as a rebel. In Mancherial, TDP constituency in-charge Kondeti Satyam is the rebel candidate. TRS leaders Dr Ramana and S Rajesh are also in the fray as rebel candidates. Other rebel candidates are: Khanapur – Bharat Chauhan, Shravan Nayak (Congress), Vijayalakshmi Chouhan, Premalatha (TRS); Asifabad – Penduru Gopi (TRS); Chennuru – Dasarapu Srinivas (Cong), Boda Janardhan (BJP), Durgam Naresh (TDP constituency in-charge).