BRS stuns with near full poll list, retains all big names, ministers; 2 seats for KCR

KCR on Monday said Kamareddy MLA Gampa Govardhan, who has been winning the seat since 2009, personally requested him to contest from the seat. Similar requests came in from Nizamabad and a few other districts as well, the CM said, but he finally chose Kamareddy. The CM said the party’s election manifesto would be released on October 16 at a public meeting in Warangal. Candidates of the four constituencies of Nampally, Narsapur, Goshamahal, and Jangaon have been kept on hold and will be announced later.

#KCR announced list of #BRSParty candidates for 115 of 119 constituencies. To contest from Kamareddy and Gajwel. Manifesto to be released at Warangal public meeting on Oct 16 @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/Ngf2eFDqvd

— Rahul V Pisharody (@rahulvpisharody) August 21, 2023

“There are very few changes because MLAs have performed well. These seven changes are also due to other reasons than non-performance. I decided to nominate Lasya Nandita, daughter of late BRS Secunderabad Cantonment MLA G Sayanna, from the same constituency. Vemulawada MLA Chennemaneni Ramesh had to be dropped because of his legal case over his citizenship,” KCR said. He expressed confidence that the BRS would score a hat-trick and win between 95 to 105 seats in the elections. The dates have yet to be announced but the elections are likely to be held in December.

The BRS announced new candidates for the constituencies of Boath, Khanapur, Wyra, Korutla, Uppal, Asifabad, and Metpally. Acknowledging that each seat had multiple ticket aspirants, KCR asked those who failed to get a ticket to continue working for the party and that opportunities would come their way. Wishing all the candidates success, KCR said the list was released after 2.38 pm considering the “auspicious time and day”.

The CM has nominated Dr Sanjay Kalvakuntla, the son of sitting MLA K Vidya Sagar Rao, from Korutla on the latter’s request. In Dubbaka, which was won by BJP’s M Ragunandan Rao in the 2020 bypoll, the BRS has changed the candidate and given the ticket to Kotha Prabhakar Reddy. In Huzurabad, which was won by the BJP’s Etela Rajender, the BRS nominated MLC Padi Kaushik Reddy. Sitting MLA from Boath (a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes) Rathod Bapu Rao has been dropped and Anil Jadhav has been given the ticket. Uppal MLA B Subhash Reddy has also been dropped and Bandaru Lakshma Reddy has been given the ticket. In Asifabad, MLA Atram Sakku who won on a Congress ticket in December 2018 but joined the BRS has been dropped and Kova Laxmi who lost to Sakku has been nominated. In Khanapur, MLA Ajmeera Rekha has been dropped and B Johnson Rathod Naik has been nominated and Wyra MLA Lavudya Ramulu who won on Congress ticket and joined BRS later has been dropped and Banoth Madan Lal has been nominated in his place.

Dumdaar Leader – Dhamakedaar Decision !!
Our leader KCR Garu announced 115 exceptional candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections out of 119 seats. It truly is a testament to the people’s faith in CM KCR Garu’s courageous leadership and the impactful governance of the… pic.twitter.com/G3czjqZeNK

— Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) August 21, 2023

BRS Secunderabad Cantonment MLA G Sayanna was a five-time MLA who died in February after a prolonged illness. His daughter Lasya Nandita who is active in politics was elected as Municipal Corporator from Kavadiguda in Hyderabad in 2016 but lost in the December 2020 municipal polls. The CM said he decided to nominate her out of respect for Sayanna. Vemulawada MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh’s Indian citizenship was cancelled in September 2017 by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs because he had earlier opted for German citizenship. Ramesh appealed in the Supreme Court even as he was elected in 2018 and the case is still sub judice.

Asked about dissent in the party, especially in the wake of controversial statements from many including Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumantha Rao who failed to get a seat for his son Rohit, KCR said people indulging in anti-party activities would be shunted out. About Hanumantha Rao, he said, “If he abides by the party, no problem, if he does not, his choice.”

About the Congress’s seeming resurgence in the state post victory in Karnataka, KCR reiterated that Karnataka had no relevance to Telangana. “What is happening in Karnataka now people are realising and the treacherous power cuts (are back) in Bangalore city where we don’t expect it to happen. They have already forgotten many of their promises,” he said.