Aspirants mounting pressure on KCR family for BRS tickets

 ADILABAD: BRS leaders, including sitting MLAs, aspiring for ruling party tickets are going about claiming that they are sure to be the party’s nominee from various constituencies in erstwhile Adilabad district in the forthcoming elections.

The claims of these leaders from various constituencies are based on their photographs with Chief Minister and BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, IT minister K.T Rama Rao, MLC K. Kavitha, finance minister T. Harish Rao and Rajya Sabha member Joginapalli Santhosh Kumar.

However, having mere photographs is no guarantee for party tickets. But news is making rounds in political circles that differences are cropping up within the family members of KCR over party candidates to be fielded in the next elections, particularly in constituencies with powerful candidates.

It is a known fact that some of the BRS MLAs and leaders have a close rapport with KCR, KTR or other leaders.

For example, in Khanapur assembly constituency reserved for STs, NRI Bhukya Johnson Naik, a close friend of KTR, is claiming that he is sure to get the party ticket. Purnachander Badavath is making the same claim based on the backing he has from Joginapalli Santhosh Kumar. Sitting MLA Rekha Naik is confident of getting the party ticket with the blessings of the Chief Minister.

In Asifabad, zilla parishad chairperson Kova Laxmi’s supporters claim their leader will get the party ticket with support from KTR. Sitting MLA Atram Sakku’s supporters assert that right when Sakku joined BRS (then TRS) from Congress, KCR had assured him the ticket.

Several BRS leaders claim close association with Kavitha since many of them used to invite Kavitha as chief guest for Bathukamma programmes in their respective areas in erstwhile Adilabad district. Others believe the word of Harish Rao will have enough weight for getting them the ruling party ticket.

However, no one knows who actually has the backing of which leader. Who the ticket goes to will be known only once it is allotted.