Hours before Bharat Rashtra Ramithi (BRS) president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced most of the party’s candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumanth Rao told the media that he had given the party an ultimatum — that he wouldn’t contest unless his son Rohit too was given a ticket from Medak. However, the list of BRS candidates for 115 seats does not name Mynampally Rohit, while Hanumanth Rao has been given the Malkajgiri ticket. The Medak ticket once again went to sitting MLA Padma Devender Reddy.
On Monday morning, before the candidates’ list was announced, Hanumanth Rao visited Tirupati along with his son Rohit. Speaking to the media, the MLA said that although he was told that his ticket was confirmed, he would only contest if his son was also allowed to contest from Medak. “The party did not ask me to quit. But I will think about it if they do not offer a ticket to my son. If required, I am ready to keep politics aside and make my son an MLA from Medak,” he said.
BRS has however chosen to offer the Medak ticket to sitting MLA Padma Devander Reddy, who is close to CM KCR’s family and has already contested twice and won from the constituency.
He also alleged that Minister Harish Rao, who is also KCR’s nephew, was developing his constituency Siddipet but interfering in Medak’s progress. “Harish Rao has impeded the political career of several people. I will teach him a lesson and ensure that he is defeated in Siddipet,” the Malkajgiri MLA said.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Hanumanth Rao said, “Why can’t there be two candidates from one family? There are candidates from their (KCR’s) family too and we did not question it. Candidates should be announced based on their capability and my son is more capable than me.”