Hyderabad: The summer is not yet here this year, but the opposition BRS party in Telangana is already facing the heat of the coming Lok Sabha elections, and is experiencing a drought of sorts – of leaders willing to contest in the general elections expected to be held sometime in April.
Even worse, candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, whose names have already been announced at various party meetings by the BRS leadership, are learnt to be developing cold feet, and that they are unwilling to allow whatever political future they may have, to melt away by contesting in the Lok Sabha elections.
Among those who are said to be extremely wary of contesting the polls are G Ranjith Reddy, the MP from Chevella, Nama Nageswara Rao the MP from Khammam, and P. Ramulu from Nagarkurnool, along with some others from among whom, one or two are said to be looking at prospects of jumping ship and board another that might sail better in the current political situation in the state.
Sources well-versed with these goings on said that, for instance, the situation in Chevella constituency for which the BRS declared Ranjith Reddy as its candidate, pretty much sums up what is happening with the BRS in the rest of the 16 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
“There is a lot of uncertainty about the outcome for the BRS, especially with the BJP expected to field former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy from Chevella, and Patnam Mahendar Reddy, who joined the Congress recently, pitching for the party ticket from there. The question is, is it worth spending all the energy, effort, not to mention huge resources needed for a Lok Sabha election. Looking at the prospects in a practical manner, it does not make sense for Ranjith Reddy to contest,” sources keeping a close watch for the BRS on Chevella said.
Meanwhile, word is doing the rounds that if push comes to shove, Ranjith Reddy may even look to join another party, even if it means not getting a ticket to contest in the coming elections.
The BRS, it is learnt, is already looking for an alternate candidate for Chevella though it has not said anything on this matter yet. The party is expected to maintain silence and wait for the Congress and the BJP to announce its Lok Sabha poll candidates before releasing its own list. But getting this list into place is expected to be a challenge.
The situation is Chevella is pretty much expected to repeat in Khammam too with sources saying Nageswara Rao too is not too keen to contest on a BRS ticket. Same is the case with Nagarkurnool with Ramulu already making it clear that he was not keen on contesting and wants the party to give the ticket to his son, but this is being opposed by some other party leaders.
There is also some uncertainty, it is learnt over whether the BRS’ Zaheerabad MP B.B. Patil will return to the fray and if he does, if that would be under the BRS banner or the BJP. There is speculation doing the rounds in the BJP that with it not having a recognizable face in Zaheerabad, it could persuade Patil to leave the BRS and join the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls.
“It is not just the poor prospects in the coming elections. There is the question of huge sums of money that we have to spend, and this with no assurance of any return. This simply does not make sense,” a senior party leader said.
