Hyderabad: The BRS, despite heading all 32 zilla parishads (ZPs) in the state, is facing a threat of exodus as chairpersons have started quitting the party over the promise of poll tickets from Opposition parties for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Having lost two ZP chairs to the Congress already, the BRS is facing an unenviable task in retaining the leaders, especially in segments where it has strong incumbents. ZP chairpersons, bestowed the rank of ‘minister of state’, hold considerable political clout in districts and their defection to Opposition parties is causing concern for the BRS.
While the BRS made a clean sweep of the ZP elections in June 2019, the elected representatives are lobbying hard for a ticket as they have almost completed their five-year tenures.
Sources said that many ZP chairpersons who are unsure of getting BRS tickets are negotiating with other parties, with most preferring the Congress, which has seen its chances of winning the elections spike over the past few months.
Among those who have already quit the BRS is Kothagudem ZP chairperson Koram Kanakaiah, who joined the Congress along with former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy earlier this month. Kanakaiah is seeking to contest the Yellandu Assembly seat.
Last week, Gadwal ZP chairperson K. Saritha also quit the BRS and joined Congress. She is seeking to contest the Gadwal Assembly seat, given that the Congress lacked a strong candidate in the segment after senior leader D.K. Aruna left the Congress for BJP in 2019.
Unrest in BRS’ ZP ranks
Among those who are pushing hard for BRS tickets are ZP chairpersons of Peddapalli, Jagtial, Mahbubabad, Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy, Asifabad and Adilabad, all of whom are threatening to quit the party if denied tickets for polls.
Peddapalli: Putta Madhu is seeking to contest from Manthani, where he lost to Congress candidate D. Sridhar Babu in 2018.
Jagtial: Dava Vasantha is lobbying for the Jagtial ticket, held by BRS MLA M. Sanjay Kumar.
Mahbubabad: Angoth Bindu is seeking the Yellandu ticket.
Vikarabad: P. Sunitha Mahender Reddy is planning to join the Congress if the party assures her an Assembly ticket or Lok Sabha ticket from Ranga Reddy district. However, it depends on the fortunes of her MLC husband Patnam Mahender Reddy, who lost to Congress candidate P. Rohith Reddy in Tandur in 2018. Rohith Reddy joined the BRS, but Mahender Reddy is demanding another shot from Tandur, threatening to move to the Congress otherwise.
Ranga Reddy: T. Anitha Harinath Reddy is reportedly planning to join the Congress along with her father-in-law Teegala Krishna Reddy, former BRS MLA from Maheshwaram who lost to Sabitha Indra Reddy in 2018. Sabitha Indra Reddy won on a Congress ticket and joined the BRS. The BRS is reportedly not in favour of replacing Sabitha.
Asifabad: Kova Laxmi, who wants to contest from Asifabad, lost to Atram Sakku in 2018, who then defected from the Congress to the BRS.
Adilabad: Rathod Janardhan is vying to contest the Khanapur Assembly seat, represented by BRS MLA Rekha Naik. He is waiting on a Congress assurance for a ticket to switch parties.
