As the formation of the new government in Telangana is drawing near, the TRS’ MLAs-elect have intensified their efforts at lobbying for Cabinet berths from the district.
Of the 12 segments, the party won eight Assembly seats. Warangal West MLA D Vinay Bhaskar and T Rajaiah of Station Ghanpur are sitting MLAs, while Aruri Ramesh and B Shankar Naik are first-time MLAs from Wardhannapet and Mahabubabad, respectively.
Candidates who have been associated with the party and those who contested unsuccessfully in the past too are now lobbying for a berth in the soon to be installed government, which is yet to take shape.
Conflicting claims Bhupalpalli candidate S Madhusudhana Chary contends that he is a senior man and a think tank of the party who should be given a berth in preference over the rest, while Konda Surekha who contested from Warangal East claims that KCR himself promised to make her a Minister at one of the election meetings here.
Recently, Station Ghanpur (SC) candidate and former MLA T Rajaiah surprised all stating that all the Dalits in TRS want KCR to be the Chief Minister and Dalits would be happy working under his leadership. This was viewed as an effort to get close to the leadership and bargain for Minister post eventually.
Flaunts loyalty Aspiring strongly for a Ministry is also D Vinay Bhaskar, who contested from Warangal West Assembly seat. He won the election twice in the past. “I am a loyal worker of the party and our leadership knows it. I hope the party would recognize my work,” he argues.
Though many in the past elected on TRS party ticket and subsequently left and joined the Congress, Mr Vinay Bhaskar chose to remain in the party, which he thinks would qualify him to be a member of the Cabinet in the new state.