Miffed with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for not granting a seat, several leaders from the party have threatened to contest either independently or join other parties. One such leader, who has openly expressed her displeasure over the party not announcing the ticket, is Konda Surekha from Warangal East constituency.
The party has withheld the names of the candidates for her constituency along with 13 other constituencies. However, Surekha, a four-time MLA, has viewed the non-disclosure of candidates as a move to deny her a seat.
Surekha threatened to quit the party and contest independently. “In a few days, I will write an open letter and announce it to the press,” she said. Surekha sought an explanation from TRS for denying her the ticket and said that she has the capability to win elections on her own irrespective of the party.
Addressing the media at Somajiguda press club, she said, “As a senior legislative leader, I have contested from Warangal east and won with a huge majority of 55,000 votes. But excluding me from the list has caused me immense pain.”
Surekha also pointed out that the TRS party was anti-women. “I feel that they have insulted not just the BC community but also the women by stopping my ticket,” Surekha said that the party had insulted her earlier by not offering an MP ticket and now by denying an MLA ticket.
According to Surekha, even the SC community sitting MLAs - Bodiga Shoba, Babu Mohan and Nallala Odelu - were denied ticket.
“In a recent meeting at Telangana Bhavan, the CM told that Shoba’s report was good and that she will win. Then what was the reason to stop her ticket? Babu Mohan and Nallala Odelu belong to SC. Then why was the need to do injustice only to women, BC and SC communities?”
She added, “Telangana is not Kalvakuntla’s home. People won’t be quiet if you convert it into Kalvakuntla’s home.” She was referring to TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s family, who are ministers and MLAs.
Another leader, who is upset with the TRS, is Ramesh Rathod, the former MP from TDP. He was welcomed into the TRS fold last year. Ramesh hoped that the party would give the ticket to contest from Adilabad. However, the party gave the ticket to Jogu Ramanna, who served as the forest minister.
The TRS party released a list of 105 candidates on Thursday, shortly after dissolving the government. In the list, the Choppuladandi constituency candidature was put on hold. However, the sitting MLA, Bodiga Shoba is confident of being chosen as the candidate.
Speaking to TNM, Shoba said, “Why won’t the TRS chief give me a seat. There’s no question of the party denying me a seat.”
Party sources said that KCR has already made up his mind of not giving her a seat following numerous complaints from the TRS cadre, including ZPTC and MPTC. She even faces graft allegations.
While Nallala Odelu, sitting MLA from Chennur, who was denied a seat, hopes that the party would reconsider their decision, MP from Peddapalle, Balka Suman has been given assembly ticket to contest from Chennur.
“The elections won’t happen in November as assumed, so I will wait for the party to announce my name. My Chief Minister will definitely give me a seat,” said Odelu.