Harish Rao task cut out, eyes one lakh majority for TRS in Dubbaka bypoll

Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which is aiming for a majority of one lakh votes in the Dubbaka, is yet to name the candidate for the by-election even as Finance Minister T Harish Rao is extensively campaigning without the contender.

The Finance Minister has been on a mission to ensure the party locks a majority of one lakh votes. However, he has been campaigning without the candidate in the constituency. According to sources, the party is in a dilemma over the candidate for the bypoll. While the party leaders said that the party might give ticket to Solipeta Sujatha, wife of Ramalinga Reddy, the party is moving cautiously on this. Some of the party leaders said that there was some opposition to Sujatha. Earlier, the name of Satish Reddy, son of Ramalinga Reddy, did rounds, but there is no talk of that presently.

Another factor for the cautiousness of TRS is that Cheruku Srinivas Reddy, son of former minister Ch Muthyam Reddy, also threw his hat for the bypoll. Srinivas Reddy has following in the constituency by virtue of the works done by his father late Muthyam Reddy, who had won from Dubbaka earlier. He had later joined TRS and Srinivas Reddy is also expecting the party ticket. Sources said that Srinivas Reddy has told his followers that he would be leaving if the party denies ticket to him.

Interestingly, another name has also surfaced and that is of Collector P Venkatarami Reddy. It is said that the officer wanted to contest elections during the Lok Sabha elections. Reddy votes are crucial in the constituency as Reddys' have been winning in the constituency in successive elections.

Party leaders said that the candidates would not matter for the party as people would see Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao as their representative. During an informal interaction with the media persons, Minister Harish Rao had said that whoever be the candidate may be, the party was trying for a majority of one lakh. Harish has been saying in the campaign meeting that the Chief Minister would disclose the candidate. The notification would be issued on October 9, last date for filing nomination papers is October 16 and the election will be held on November 3.

During the 2018 Assembly elections, Ramalinga Reddy won with a majority of 62,500 votes as he secured over 89,299 votes defeating his nearest rival M Nageshwar Reddy of Congress.