NEW DELHI
With Assembly elections in Telangana just around three months away, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K.
Chandrashekhar Rao is said to have prepared the first list of tickets which will include only sitting MLAs. The list will feature around 90 candidates. A source privy to the developments told The Sunday Guardian, “There are around 10 sitting MLAs who will not get tickets as they have not worked proportionately in their constituencies. There is anti-incumbency against them. In recent times, KCR did try to help them and advise them to be responding to the requirements of their constituencies but they did not listen. Therefore, their tickets had to be given to someone deserving.” However, those who had joined BRS from other parties (including 12 from Congress) after 2018 Assembly elections were promised at the time that they will again get tickets in 2023 Assembly elections. Therefore, according to sources, KCR has kept the promise and listed all the turncoat MLAs in the first list of candidates who will be given tickets. A party insider said, “All the people who came from other parties will compulsorily be given tickets. KCR wants to keep his promise. A few among them will lose though but KCR will work hard for them as well till the last moment.” KCR is said to be taking every constituency seriously as he has been meeting every MLA “one-to-one” to boost their confidence. A source said, “He is meeting them personally and suggesting them what to do; what we have done and how to amplify effectiveness.” The ticket distribution has been a decisive step in states where the parties fight neck to neck. Though, as a party insider said, the state election is a cake walk for them, they also say that KCR wants to keep his seat count maximum. A political analyst who tracks national politics said, “There is a lot of buzz that the two parties will fight neck to neck but BRS is very strong. Moreover, such a narrative helps both in one way, as it pushes the BJP into the corner in electoral space of the state. Everybody knows it’s BRS or it is Congress. Therefore, in the larger picture both parties are feeding that narrative which will help both the parties in upcoming Lok Sabha elections as well. There, both may come together as well.” Badar Bashir