Telangana Assembly Elections witness absence of senior leaders

These leaders include: Ponnala Laxmaiah (BRS), Kanduru Jana Reddy (Congress), DK Aruna (BJP), Patnam Mahahendar Reddy (BRS), Geetha Reddy (Congress), Nagam Janardhan Reddy (BRS), Kishan Reddy (BJP).

Hyderabad: Several senior leaders of major political parties in Telangana are not contesting the upcoming Assembly elections due to various reasons. These leaders include: Ponnala Laxmaiah (BRS), Kanduru Jana Reddy (Congress), DK Aruna (BJP), Patnam Mahahendar Reddy (BRS), Geetha Reddy (Congress), Nagam Janardhan Reddy (BRS), Kishan Reddy (BJP).

All of these leaders are former ministers, except for Kishan Reddy. It is the first time since their first election to the Legislative Assembly that they will not be in the fray.

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Kanduru Jana Reddy contested his first election in 1978 on a Janatha Party ticket from Chalakurthy segment. He later joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and won elections in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. He is not contesting this time because his son Jaiveer Reddy is being fielded from Nagarjunasagar by the Congress party.

Ponnala Laxmaiah lost in the 1985 elections as the Congress candidate. He then won in 1989, 1999, 2004, and 2009. He lost in the 2014 and 2018 elections consecutively after the formation of the separate state of Telangana. In 2023, he joined the ruling party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), after the Congress party denied him a ticket.

Nagam Janardhan Reddy lost his first election in 1983 from the Nagarkurnool constituency. He later won in 1985, 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009 as a TDP candidate. He also emerged victorious in the 2012 bypolls. He lost the election in 2018 on a Congress ticket. He recently joined BRS after he was denied a ticket.

Chinna Reddy lost the election from Wanaparthy in 1985. He then won in 1989, 1999, 2014, and 2014 and lost in the 1994 and 2009 elections. He was allocated a seat by the Congress party this time but was later replaced with Megha Reddy.

Geetha Reddy had won in 1989 from Gajwel on a Congress ticket. She also won in 2004. Later, she won in 2009 and 2014 elections from Zaheerabad assembly constituency. She lost in the 2018 elections. This year, she is not in the fray due to health and other reasons.

Patnam Mahahender Reddy had won in 1994, 1999, and 2009 from Thandur on a TDP ticket. Later, he joined TRS (now BRS) and won the election in 2014 from the same constituency. He lost the election in 2018. Recently, he was elected as an MLC and made Minister.

DK Aruna lost the election from Gadwal on a Congress ticket. She won the election in 2004 as a Samajwadi Party candidate. Later, she joined the Congress and won the 2009 and 2014 elections. In 2018, she lost and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019. This time, she has not shown interest in contesting.

Kishan Reddy had won in the 2004 assembly elections from Himayatnagar. After delimitations of constituencies in the state, he contested from Amberpet and won the elections in 2009 and 2014 consecutively. After losing in the 2018 Assembly elections, he won as an MP from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency and is now holding a central ministership. He has not shown interest in contesting the elections this time.