TRS likely to retain most of sitting members

​Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is likely to adopt the same formula he followed in the Assembly elections by fielding the sitting members in Lok Sabha polls too.  According to sources, the Chief Minister has decided to give tickets to the sitting Lok Sabha members in their respective constituencies in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. The TRS president, during the Assembly elections, gave tickets to sitting MLAs even though there were reports that some of the sitting members could be dropped as they were facing anti-incumbency. 

The Chief Minister is contemplating continuing this formula even in the Lok Sabha elections. There are 17 Lok Sabha constituencies and the TRS is aiming to win 16 seats, leaving the one for All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi. KCR has been saying in his speeches that the TRS would win 16 seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

 Sources said that the TRS president wants to make sure the Muslim minorities vote for the TRS in a battle between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Sources also said that giving Home portfolio to former Deputy Chief Minister Md Mahamood Ali is a calculated step by the Chief Minister. This would instil confidence among the Minorities that the TRS is for welfare of the Minorities unlike the Congress which used the section merely as vote bank, said a TRS leader. While most of the sitting MPs will be getting the tickets, there are some particular seats for which candidates are to be decided by the TRS president. It is confirmed that Kotha Prabhakar Reddy will be fielded from Medak. 

At a meeting in Medak, the TRS president appealed to the people to ensure victory of Prabhakar Reddy with a huge majority exceeding 5 lakh. Similarly, the other sitting MPs like K Kavitha (Nizamabad), G Nagesh (Adilabad), B Vinod Kumar (Karimnagar), B B Patil (Zaheerabad), A P Jitender Reddy (Mahbubnagar), B Narsaiah Goud (Bhongir), P Dayakar (Warangal), Sitaram Naik (Mahabubabad), P Srinivas Reddy (Khammam) are likely to be retained. 

There would be changes in some constituencies with the MPs had resigned and won as MLAs, including in Medchal and Peddapally. Sources said the TRS chief is likely to give ticket for the Peddapally seat to Government Advisor G Vivekanand. The name of Council Chairman K Swamy Goud is doing rounds for the Chevella Lok Sabha with incumbent K Vishweshwar Reddy joining the Congress party. 

For Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha, the names of former minister P Ramulu and Manda Jagannadham are doing rounds. For Secunderabad, the name Vithal Dande is doing rounds, for Nalgonda the names of Gutha Sukhender Reddy and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy are doing rounds. Regarding Malkajgiri, former MLA of Medchal Sudheer Reddy’s name is doing rounds. Sudheer Reddy was denied ticket from Medchal and was given to Malkajgiri MP Ch Malla Reddy.