K Chandrasekhar Rao may give Nalgonda MP Cabinet berth

Hyderabad: TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will start selecting candidates for the Lok Sabha elections even as he picks his ministers, and finalise the nominees after February 19.

Mr Balka Suman (Peddapalli) and Ch Malla Reddy (Malkajgiri) resigned from the Lok Sabha after their election to the Assembly and Mr Konda Visweswar Reddy (Chevella) joined the Congress.

Most of the remaining 11 MPs will be renominated, except for one or two. Khammam will be the sticking point.

Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy won on a YSRC ticket in 2014 and joined the TRS. He has a bitter rivalry with former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao in district politics. Mr Nageswara Rao was defeated in the recent state polls, and his supporters blamed the MP for the defeat.

Mr Rao has said that internal differences between party leaders cost the TRS about 10 to 15 seats and referred to Khammam district in particular. He noted that the TRS could win only one out of the 10 seats in Khammam.

Mr Nageswara Rao and the Chief Minister are said to be very close. It is not clear if Mr Rao will continue with Mr Srinivasa Reddy from the Khammam LS seat or nominate the former minister. If the two leaders cannot make peace, it is possible a third candidate could be selected for the seat.

TRS sources said Mr Rao was mulling changing Mahbubabad MP A. Sitaram Naik on the basis of his survey report. His replacements could be from among TS representative at Delhi Ramachandra Naik or Ms Malothu Kavitha, former MLA and daughter of TRS legislator D.S. Redya Naik. If Mr Naik is taken into the Cabinet, Ms Kavitha will not get the Lok Sabha ticket.

There is some speculation that Nalgonda MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy may be inducted into the Cabinet. If that happens, the Nalgonda Lok Sabha ticket may be given to TRS MLC Palla Rajeswar Reddy, who is very close to Mr Rao, or Mr Chinnapa Reddy, who has contested from the constituency in the past.

For Malkajgiri, the name of TS government chief adviser Rajiv Sharma, a former chief secretary, is under consideration. Former Medchal MLA Sudhir Reddy who was denied a ticket in the recent Assembly elections to accommodate Malkajgiri MP Ch Malla Reddy, is eyeing the seat along with TRS leader Naveen Rao.

For Chevella, former minister P. Mahendar Reddy and Legislative Council Chairman A. Swamy Goud are in the running. Former MP and TS government adviser G. Vivek will be given the Peddapalli ticket.