TRS out to craft winning strategy

Hyderabad: Even as the TRS leaders in the districts have been lobbying to get tickets to their followers in the civic polls, the party leadership has decided to adopt the formula used in the GHMC elections and the candidates would be finalised only after surveys.

The elections atmosphere is likely to get heated up with State Election Commission gearing up for conducting elections to municipalities and corporations in the State.

According to sources, the TRS leaders in the district including the MLAs have started their efforts to meet the influential leaders including the ministers to recommend their followers for the ensuing civic polls.

Sources said that some of the leaders have told the party leadership that the followers would have to be given importance as many of them are with the party since its inception.

A senior leader of the party said, "The party should give chance to the leaders who have been with TRS since its formation and also took part in the Telangana agitation. There is a risk of leaders looking at alternative in case they are neglected in this election."

Sources said that a TRS leader wanted opportunities to be given to his followers.However, with no proper response, he quit alleging that he was neglected and not given importance even in the party's membership drive, said sources.

Similarly, another senior leader, who was also a chairman of a corporation, also wanted his followers to get the tickets in the civic polls.

The leader is said to be unhappy with the importance given to the new entrants including the Congress MLAs, who joined the party recently. With new MLAs getting importance, the old leaders have started their preparations from now itself, opined the TRS leader.

However, sources said that the party is not going to heed to the leaders recommending the names of their followers and adopt the strategy followed in the GHMC elections.

The party leadership would be forming a committee with local leaders and taking up surveys based on the inputs and then decide on the candidates in the local body elections.