BRS list of probables for LS polls ready; a few sitting members to be benched

Hyderabad: The BRS party has prepared a list of probable candidates for the majority of the Lok Sabha constituencies, and this time some of the sitting members may be changed, asking the former ministers and former MLAs to contest the election.

According to sources, the party has almost zeroed in on the candidates in the majority of the Lok Sabha segments. There is more than one contender in some of the constituencies. In the Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency, the party has decided to make former MLA Atram Sakku the candidate. The party denied the ticket to Sakku during the Assembly elections and assured him the Lok Sabha ticket, and as per that assurance, the party is planning to make him the candidate.

Bajireddy Goverdhan's name is being considered for the Nizamabad Lok Sabha segment. This seat currently belongs to the party's MLC, K Kavitha, and there are signals that she might abstain from the Lok Sabha polls, choosing instead to campaign within the State as an MLC. Another leader, Bigala Mahesh Gupta, is also being discussed as a potential candidate for this constituency.

The party has concluded candidate selection in certain constituencies during recent preparatory meetings at the State headquarters. Former MP B Vinod Kumar has been confirmed as the candidate for the Karimnagar Lok Sabha segment, G Ranjith Reddy for Chevella, and Nama Nageswara Rao for Khammam.

In the Peddapally Lok Sabha segment, the party’s sitting MP B Venkatesh Nethakani, has deserted the party after learning that he will not be getting a ticket this time. Party leaders said that either former minister Koppula Eshwar or former MP B Suman would be announced as candidates. For the Medak Lok Sabha constituency, the party is contemplating the candidature of the former MLA from Narsapur, Ch Madan Reddy, who was assured the ticket during the Assembly elections. Another leader, Vanteru Pratap Reddy, is also being considered for this constituency. Sources suggest that BB Patil is likely to be retained as the candidate for the Zaheerabad Lok Sabha segment, marking his third time as the BRS leader receiving the ticket.

In the Warangal segment, the names of former Wardhannapet MLA Aroori Ramesh, Kadiyam Kavya, who is the daughter of senior leader Kadiyam Srihari, sitting member P Dayakar, and Erolla Srinivas’s names were being considered. In the Mahabubabad segment, the party is leaning towards selecting former MP A Sitaram Naik as the candidate. However, the names of Redya Naik or sitting MP Maloth Kavitha are also being taken into consideration.

In the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha segment, the party is considering a change in the sitting MP. Former ministers V Srinivas Goud and Ch Laxma Reddy might be asked to contest the election. The name of former MLA A Venkateshwar Reddy is also being mentioned. For Nagarkurnool, there is consideration for once again fielding sitting MP P Ramulu.

The two segments in Nalgonda have more aspirants, and prominent among them were Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy’s son Amit, T Chinnapa Reddy. For Bhongir Lok Sabha, the names of Pailla Shekhar Reddy, Jitta Balakrishna Reddy or Dudimetla Balraj Yadav, and Gutha Amit’s names were doing the rounds.

In the city segments, there is a likelihood that the party will nominate Talasani Srinivas Yadav's son, Talasani Sai Kiran Yadav, for Secunderabad, Ch Bhadra Reddy, and Shambhipur Raju for the Malkajgiri segment. While the party has finalised the names, it plans to delay the announcement until after the ruling party makes its candidate announcement, in contrast to the early candidate announcements during the Assembly elections.