Assembly ticket fight throws TRS into tizzy

​Hyderabad: Though leaders of the Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) express confidence of winning more than 100 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections from the State capital every now and then, things at district level do not seem to be all that smooth for the party. Reports indicate that the party State leadership is jittery as leaders in the districts intensify their fight for supremacy in constituencies. The party leadership is said to be worried with these developments, this year being the election year.

There were instances of differences in the past, but now the leaders are coming out in open and being vocal against their counterparts. The erstwhile Warangal district has been centre of all differences within the party. Apart from Warangal, there are voices of dissent raised against many leaders in other districts as well. Recently, Warangal East TRS MLA Konda Surekha openly criticised Warangal city Mayor N Narender, who is said to be a competitor to her as he declared that he would seek ticket for himself.

Warangal district has been a strong base for the TRS since the time of agitation for separate Telangana and it has been a cakewalk for many leaders in successive elections. However, the situation has now changed with leaders competing each other for tickets. In Mahabubabad constituency, local MLA Shankar Naik has been facing stiff competition from former MLA Maloth Kavitha, who joined the TRS from the Congress.

Naik has been opposing and vocal against the former Congress leader for the last three years. The issue has come to the notice of the party State leadership but there has been no change in the approach of Naik. There is similar a situation in Bhoopalapally constituency where Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary is the incumbent. Locals say that TDP leader Gandra Satyanarayana had joined the ruling party based on the assurance of ticket from this constituency.

The differences between former minister T Rajaiah and Kadiyam Srihari in Station Ghanpur is well known. As the name of Kadiyam Kavya cropped up for candidature of Station Ghanpur constituency, Rajaiah said this was his constituency and he would contest next election. He said that Kavya did not even have a vote in the constituency and how she could get a seat.

TSRTC Chairman S Satyanarayana also raised alarm as the information reached him that there would be a replacement in Ramagundam. Sources said the party leadership had decided to change the candidate and give ticket to a young leader. He had openly said that he would retire from politics but with the intervention of IT Minister K T Rama Rao, the RTC Chairman softened his stand.

The party leadership is a worried lot as issues are coming to fore at a time when the elections are fast approaching. However, a senior leader said these were small issues and would be sorted out before elections. He said the Chief Minister had been stating that every leader would be getting opportunities and some needed to sacrifice.