TS Assembly polls: Over 1,000 candidates in fray for 119 Congress tickets

Hyderabad: The BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s close relative Ramya Rao, senior leader K Jana Reddy’s sons, film producer Appi Reddy, former MP Madhu Yashki Goud , senior leader DamodarRajanarasimha’s daughter are among more than 1,000 aspirants who have filed applications seeking Congress party tickets for 119 seats in the upcoming State Assembly elections. On the last day of filing applications on Friday, the State Congress head office, Gandhi Bhavan, was flooded with leaders to submit their forms. Senior leaders and their close relatives thronged the office to file applications. Ramya Rao and her son Rithesh Rao are demanding tickets from Karimnagar Assembly segment. Leaders said the party high command was ready to field Ramya to counter KCR in his stronghold Karimnagar. She is expecting ticket for her son if she is denied due to changing political equations in the district. Jana Reddy’s sons -Raghuveer Reddy and Jaiveer Reddy also applied. One of Jana Reddy’s sons will contest from Nagarjunasagar; another son will be given ticket to fight from Miryalaguda. The senior leader is lobbying strongly for a ticket for one of his sons. Interestingly, Telugu film Producer Appi Reddy is seeking ticket to contest from Kodad and Huzurnagar from where senior leader N Uttam Kumar Reddy and his wife N Padamavathi are ready to be in the fray. Party leaders said Uttam encouraged Appi Reddy to apply in case his wife is denied ticket. The party high command is not in a mood to allot tickets to two members of a family this time, they said. Rajanarasimha’s daughter Trisha is vying to contest from Andhol. She is keen to foray into active politics; leaders said he will take the final call. Telangana PCC Campaign Committee chairman Madhu Yashki is demanding ticket from LB Nagar from where another senior leader Malreddy Ranga Reddy has already launched campaign recently. Senior leader and Mulugu MLA Sitakka’s son Suryam are expecting ticket from Pinapaka. Patty leaders said ticket aspirants for each segment would be not less than 10. It will be a big task before the leadership to finalise the candidates. “The party leadership has not expected such huge response despite fixing Rs 50,000 non- refundable fee to file applications for OC and BC candidates and Rs 25,000 to SC and ST candidates”, they pointed out.