Nizmabad: Less than six weeks ahead of the Assembly elections, major political parties have not yet finalised the candidature of contesting candidates for MLA seats.
The ruling TRS party has turned out as the front runner as its high command has declared nominees for all nine Assembly constituencies in composite Nizamabad district. BJP has announced candidates for only Nizamabad rural, Armoor and Kamareddy Assembly constituencies.
For the nine Assembly constituencies, around 27 candidates may turn out as strong contenders from the TRS, Congress and the BJP. Only 12 official candidates from both the TRS and BJP have been conducting election campaigns in their respective Assembly constituencies.
Voters are still clueless over the contesting candidates from all major political parties in both Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts.
TRS fielded all sitting MLAs—Bigala Ganesh Gupta (Nizamabad urban), Bajireddy Govardhan (Nizamabad rural), A. Jeevan Reddy (Armoor), V.Prashanth Reddy (Balkonda), Shakeel (Bodhan), Gampa Govardhan (Kamareddy), Hanumanth Shinde (Jukkal), E. Ravinder Reddy (Yellareddy) and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada). BJP has declared its first list of candidates—G. Anand Reddy (Nizamabad rural), Vinay Kumar Reddy (Armoor) and K.P.Venkat Ramana Reddy (Kamareddy).
To avoid last minute rush, TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has planned to declare the Congress candidates early. He disclosed this during his Praja Chaitanya Yatra in Nizamabad district.
Dissolution of the state Assembly and consequent elections paved way for the ruling TRS party to declare its candidates early. Alliance with the Telugu Desam, Telangana Jana Samiti, CPI had caused delay for the Congress Party to declare its candidates.
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammad Ali Shabbir, former Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy will begin electioneering in Kamareddy and Bodhan Assembly Constituencies as unopposed candidates in the party.
Exit of former Assembly Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy from the Congress will pave the way for MLC Akula Lalitha to contest from Armoor Assembly constituency. She has been making whirlwind tours in Armoor segment, seeking votes. It is believed that by November first week, candidates of all parties will be finalised and political speculations will ripe. Meanwhile, MIM, BSP, Shiva Sena parties are also planning to field candidates in undivided Nizamabad district.
