Hyderabad: Political parties in the State are gearing up for another poll. With the terms of sitting MLCs for the Graduates constituencies of Mahabubnagar-Hyderabad-Rangareddy and Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam coming to an end in March, the election notification for the two constituencies is expected to be released next month. While the ruling TRS has already commenced its background work and has been consolidating forces in its favour, both the BJP and the Congress are also trying to make their presence felt.
Though none of the political parties have officially announced their candidates, sitting MLCs- Palla Rajeshwar Reddy from TRS representing Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam Graduates constituency and the lone sitting BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao representing Mahabubnagar-Hyderabad-Rangareddy Graduates constituency, are most likely to represent their respective political parties from respective Graduates constituencies. Both the sitting MLCs have already started their ground work and have been holding preparatory meetings with the party cadre for the last few weeks.
Rajeshwar Reddy, who is also Rythu Bandhu Samithi State Chairman, is way ahead of others in campaigning as he is learnt to have got a nod from the party leadership. At several preparatory meetings with the party cadre in the Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam constituency, TRS leaders including Ministers have been openly asking the party cadre as well as graduate voters to support him in the polls.
He is receiving positive response from all quarters and the entire poll scenario is said to be in his favour. The TRS cadre too have been campaigning for him and actively taking part in enrolment of graduate voters ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, BJP aspirant Premender Reddy and Telanagana Jana Samithi president professor M Kodandaram too have been busy meeting graduate voters as well as various organisations to seek support. Interestingly, the Congress is yet to make up its mind on fielding a candidate.
While a few leaders are seeking to contest, the Congress leadership is learnt to have received a request from Kodandaram to support him and a decision is yet to be taken in this regard.
In Mahabubnagar-Hyderabad-Rangareddy Graduates constituency, the TRS is yet to take a decision on its candidate but several representations have been received from party leaders seeking ticket. Among the aspirants, TRS Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituency in-charge Marri Rajashekhar Reddy and GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan are said to be among the frontrunners. MLC Seri Subhash Reddy has already been appointed as the party in-charge to coordinate with the cadre in this Graduates constituency elections and the former is learnt to have already commenced his ground work to ensure the victory of TRS.
On the other hand, BJP sitting MLC N Ramchander Rao is pinning his hopes highly on the party cadre and the voters of Hyderabad following the party’s good show in the recent GHMC elections. The BJP leadership is confident that the voters in Hyderabad were in its favour and the MLC poll can be won with a good margin. Sources said that the party leadership is also planning to bring a few senior national leaders to campaign on behalf of the BJP candidates in both the Graduates constituencies.
The Congress is learnt to have received around 50 applications for the party ticket, but the party leadership is in a dilemma due to the absence of a winnable candidate. Instead, the leaders, sources said, are keen on focusing their energies on the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency bypoll where former Minister K Jana Reddy is expected to contest on a Congress ticket.
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