Mahbubabad seat: Mad rush for Congress ticket

Mahbubabad: With wind is blowing in favour of Congress, especially since the drubbing it handed over to the BRS, a large number of candidates laying their claim on Mahbubabad Lok Sabha (ST Reserved) ticket. Aspirants strongly believe that it’s going to be a cakewalk for them if they secure the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha ticket.

Congress won all the other Assembly segments falling under the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat – Mahabubabad, Dornakal, Yellandu, Pinapaka, Mulugu and Narsampet. Thus, the Mahabubabad seat has become most sought-after. Moreover, the Congress has fared well in Mahabubabad Parliament seat since its formation in 1951. The Parliament segment was winded up in 1967 and again restored after the delimitation of constituencies in 2009.

Former Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Manmohan Singh government, Porika Balaram Naik is one among the frontrunners to grab the ticket.

All India Adivasi Congress vice chairman Tejavath Bellaiah Naik, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra right through, has also applied for the ticket.

Registrar of the School of Folk & Tribal Lore, Warangal, of the Telugu University, Prof Battu Ramesh, is also in the race for the ticket. His studies on the lives of Banjaras and young widows as an academician could be an added advantage as the seat is reserved for the STs.

Maloth Nehru Naik, Banoth Mohanlal, Rayapuram Sambaiah and several others are seriously trying for the ticket. The Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) will be having a tough task when it sits on Tuesday to shortlist the candidates.

Presently, the Mahbubabad seat is represented by Maloth Kavitha of the BRS. In 2014, BRS’ Azmeera Sitaram Naik clinched the seat. The constituency has a predominant Adivasi population (3.40 lakh) against the Lambadas who constitute around 2.60 lakh.