SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
BRS candidates and senior leaders are now fully engaged in appeasing dissidents. The official candidates of the BRS are facing dissidence in almost every Assembly constituency.
This time BRS leaders competed with each other to get Assembly tickets. Speculations about changing at least 25 sitting MLAs had given hope to BRS leaders about getting Assembly tickets.
In many constituencies represented by BRS MLAs ticket hopefuls exerted pressure on the leadership for Assembly tickets. However, the BRS leadership killed their hopes and changed only seven sitting MLAs. In some constituencies, BRS MLAs are facing dissidence from within the party. The forthcoming Assembly elections are crucial for the BRS and its candidates.
At the local level, the Congress and the BJP are a threat to BRS candidates as they are trying to woo ground-level BRS leaders who are disappointed over the selection of party candidates. This has forced BRS candidates to appease dissidents in their party.
At the same time, some senior BRS leaders are also trying to appease senior leaders who are disappointed as they did not get an Assembly ticket.
For example, former minister and a close associate of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in erstwhile Khammam district, Tummala Nageswar Rao, was expecting an Assembly ticket. But the BRS leadership disappointed him by denying him a ticket.
There are speculations that Tummala may join the Congress or the BJP. In these circumstances as per directions of the BRS leadership, party MP Nama Nageswar Rao met Tummala and tried to win him over.
Former MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao was in the run for an Assembly ticket from Kothagudem. Jalagam contested as a BRS candidate in the 2018 Assembly polls and was defeated by Congress candidate Vanama Venkateswar Rao. Later, Vanama joined the BRS.
The Telangana High Court recently declared that Vanama’s election from Kothagudem void and declared Jalagam Venkat Rao as the elected MLA from Kothagudem.
Based on these developments Jalagam Venkat Rao had strongly hoped that the BRS leadership will consider his name for the Kothagudem seat. But the BRS leadership gave the Kothagudem Assembly ticket to sitting MLA Vanama and the disappointed Jalagam is planning to join the Congress.
Some sitting MLAs and strong hopefuls who were denied Assembly tickets have already resigned from the BRS.
Realising the gravity of the situation the BRS leadership is collecting information about dissidents constituency-wise and if if there are any strong leaders among them senior leaders are being sent to win them over.
