Tension grips BRS, Congress aspirants as uncertainty prevails
SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
As mainline political parties have taken up the exercise to decide candidates for the Telangana Assembly elections tension has gripped sitting MLAs and ticket hopefuls. Major political parties like the BRS, the Congress and the BJP have decided to announce their candidates well in advance.
The top eaders of all parties are finalising candidates on the basis of rough surveys and feedback from the grassroots. By the end of this month or early next month, all major political parties are likely to announce their lists.
BRS Working President IT Minister KT Rama Rao recently said that the party is preparing its first list and will announce some of its candidates soon. The main opposition Congress also has taken up the exercise to decide its candidates.
The ruling BRS and the main opposition Congress are facing problems in selecting candidates as there are many ticket hopefuls in both parties. But the BJP has no such problem.
The BRS has strong hopefuls in constituencies represented by its sitting MLAs. Due to the hype that the Congress is going to win TS polls after its victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, there is stiff competition for the party’s Assembly tickets. In the first list of BRS candidates most of the names will be sitting MLAs. Earlier, political parties used to announce their candidates at the last minute. All main political parties used to wait to announce their candidates till their main opponents announced their candidates.
Due to this candidates did not get much time for campaigning. But this time all parties have decided to announce candidates well in advance so that candidates will have adequate time to campaign and can coordinate with their local leaders
Another important thing is that political parties think that if candidates are announced in advance it will help them know who is likely to leave the party and who is trying to backstab official candidates. They also think that they will have adequate time to take steps to ensure the victory of official candidates.
As there is stiff competition among hopefuls for Assembly tickets in both the ruling BRS and the main opposition Congress cooling down dissidents after the announcement of candidates will become a big headache.
Sitting MLAs of the BRS think that if their name is not there on the first list it means that the leadership does not think that they will win if they are given tickets. Strong contenders for tickets in both the BRS and the Congress want their names on the first list.
Meanwhile, the BJP will soon announce candidates in constituencies where the party thinks that it has strong candidates. The BJP thinks that after the announcement of candidates by the BRS and the Congress some strong leaders from these two parties who are refused tickets may join them.
Depending on this, the BJP will announce its candidates. As all major political parties have speeded up the process to pick candidates tension has gripped all sitting MLAs and other hopefuls about their political future.
