NAVEENA GHANATE
Hyderabad
The One Family One Ticket rule of the BRS is affecting many political families in the state who want to test the waters with their successors in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Several Ministers are hoping to continue their political legacy using their sons and are hoping to get Assembly tickets. Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Sabitha Indra Reddy, Padma Rao, Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Bajireddy Goverdhan Reddy are among those who want tickets for their kin.
Sabitha’s son Karthik Reddy is hoping to contest from Maheshwaram and Gutha Sukhender is pitching hard for his son Amith.
The CM has made it clear that only Pocharam Srinivas Reddy will contest again. Even Talasani Sai Kiran was asked not to harbour hopes. Some BRS leaders from Nizamabad and erstwhile Karimnagar and Adilabad districts reportedly want tickets for their children.
BRS sources said that there is no ‘One Family One Ticket’ rule and cite the example of Sai Kiran Yadav and Marri Rajashekar Reddy who contested unsuccessfully to the LS in the 2019 elections apart from the CM’s family itself.
“Sonia Gandhi refused tickets to many stating the ‘One Family One Ticket Rule,’ at a time when both the mother and son contested.
I don’t think the BRS would go by such a hard and fast rule. If they intend to change candidates, obviously potential successors will be considered. But the CM said it is for sitting MLAs only. Winning is more important than the family from which a person hails,” BRS sources said.
They said that as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is raising the parivarvaad issue strongly, giving BRS tickets to the kin of politicians is like serving votes to the BJP on a platter.“Around 46 people were given a chance twice and 18 people got tickets more than thrice to become an MLA.
Currently, the party is considering the anti-incumbency factor against such people. There is always a need to have new politicians,” BRS sources said.
