While announcing the list of 105 candidates to be contesting on the Telangana Rashtra Samithi tickets for the ensuing elections, TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said he was changing candidates in only two constituencies – Andole and Chennur.
In Andole, actor and sitting MLA Babu Mohan has been replaced by journalist leader Kranthi Kiran, in Chennur, sitting MLA Nallala Odelu has been replaced by Peddapalli MP Balka Suman.
Of the remaining 14 seats, the candidates of only three sitting MLAs have been kept pending – M Sudheer Reddy (Medchal), C Kanaka Reddy (Malkajgiri) and Konda Surekha (Warangal East).
Of these three, Konda Surekha’s fate has been sealed as she revolted openly against KCR and his family members. So, she would be losing her seat to another TRS candidate. On the other hand, sources said KCR wants to change the other two candidates as well.
While Malkajgiri MP and educationist Ch Malla Reddy evinced interest in contesting for the assembly elections, the TRS chief is understood to have decided to field him from Medchal assembly constituency in place of Sudheer Reddy.
At the same time, former MLA Mynampalli Hanumantha Rao’s name is learnt to have been finalized for Malkajgiri assembly seat in place of Kanaka Reddy. Mynampalli, a close confidant of K T Rama Rao, lost to Malla Reddy in Malkajgiri Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
Now, it remains to be seen what Sudheer Reddy and Kanaka Reddy would do, if they are denied tickets this time. #KhabarLive