The Telangana Rashtra Samithi is waiting with bated breath for Congress to release its list of candidates before it takes the call on its candidatures.
The party expected the Congress to release the list on Sunday. As the list did not come out, the TRS postponed its own list. “Our list is all ready. The moment Congress releases the names, we will also complete the job,” said a senior TRS leader.
The TRS was obviously delaying the list because it expected five to six Congress MLAs to jump over to its side unable to get tickets. The names that did the rounds were Kunja Satyavathi of Bhadrachalam and Rega Kantha Rao of Pinapaka (ST) constituency. The Congress has allotted the latter’s constituency to CPI as part of an alliance but Ms. Satyavathi reportedly did not enjoy the blessings of her party. There were also a couple of Congress MLAs from Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy wanting to join TRS, the leader added.
TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday held detailed consultations with his party colleagues at a relative’s house on the outskirts of Hyderabad. But, he gave up releasing the list as the Congress took its own time.
Meanwhile, suspense continued on the fate of Parkal MLA of TRS Muluguri Bixapathi who did not figure in the names announced by the party so far. His supporters staged a demonstration near the party office on Sunday until Mr. Bixapathi himself arrived and pacified them. He expressed the hope that he will make it because the party had held back his candidature till the last hour when he contested last time. He promised not to quit TRS if he was denied the ticket.
Mr. Bixapathi said he did not expect Konda Surekha whom he defeated in the last elections to pose hurdles. Ironically, Ms. Surekha is the TRS candidate from Warangal (East).
