Political realignment gathering momentum in poll-bound Telangana

Several aspirants for tickets in the coming assembly polls in Telangana have openly expressed their dissatisfaction after being denied the chance to contest, while some others are switching sides leading to re-alignment.

The protests by those denied tickets has so far been seen mainly in the ruling TRS as the party released its first list of candidates for 105 seats out of the total 119 assembly segments.

In a swift move, TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had released the list of 105 candidates immediately after the dissolution of the assembly by the Governor last week.

TRS MLA from Warangal district in the dissolved assembly Konda Surekha publicly expressed unhappiness over her name not figuring in the first list.

Surekha was criticised by TRS leaders for her outburst against the leadership and she is expected to announce her plan of action in the coming days.

In Mancherial district, a supporter of sitting TRS MLA from Chennur Nallala Odelu attempted self-immolation on Wednesday last allegedly over the party ticket being denied to the latter.

Odelu has, however, since agreed to work for the party's victory, TRS sources said.

In Adilabad district, Ramesh Rathod, who joined TRS from TDP, had expressed displeasure at being denied ticket.

Some other TRS leaders, who have not been fielded by the party, held meetings with supporters on their future course of action.

The party leadership is talking to unhappy leaders as part of efforts to address the situation.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader K R Suresh Reddy, who had served as Speaker of Legislative Assembly in undivided Andhra Pradesh when Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister, quit the party and formally joined the TRS Wednesday.

Former Congress MLA A Rajender, who had joined the TRS after 2014, returned to the party fold on Wednesday.

With the Congress, TDP, CPI announcing plans to form a broad-based alliance for the assembly polls, it may lead to some leaders being denied tickets by their parties owing to seat adjustments.

The realignment is expected to increase as parties announce candidates.

-PTI