TRS biggies in search of winning horse

Hyderabad: After a setback in Dubbaka bypoll, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) doesn't want to take any chances in the forthcoming Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency bypoll. It is taking up a survey on finding suitable candidate. It wants to settle the score with the opposition parties particularly the BJP, which is on a high morale after winning Dubbaka and bettering performance in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

According to sources, the party has already initiated the exercise of identifying the suitable candidate for the bypoll. The party seniors are secretly taking opinions from the district leaders asking them who would be the better choice and whom the people of the constituency favour after the death of Nomula Narasimhaiah. The party is looking at different equations to finalise the candidate in the constituency. Nagarjuna Sagar was once a stronghold for Congress as the veteran leader K Jana Reddy was the MLA for several times. However, Nomula defeated him in the 2018 Assembly elections. Sources said that the party is looking at names such as Nomula Bhagat, the son of Narasimhaiah. However, the experience of Dubbaka may make the party to think twice on fielding the kin of the deceased member.

The party is also looking at leaders like Gaddampally Ravinder Reddy, who has been with the party since its inception and was active in the Telangana agitation. He had missed the ticket in the last minutes during the 2018 elections. Sources said that he is close to the TRS working president KT Rama Rao. Similarly, the name of Koti Reddy is also heard. Koti Reddy is said to be close to the Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy. It is learnt that Jagadish Reddy is trying to take the responsibility of Nagarjunsagar bypoll.

Rumours are also rife that the party may surprise by making a senior leader who is on a constitutional post to contest the elections. He is one of the strongest leaders from the erstwhile Nalgonda district and has good relations with the people of the constituency.