The upcoming byelections to Dubbaka has become a cause for headache to the TRS leadership. The Election Commission of India has decided to conduct the byelections for Dubbaka – the lone vacant Assembly seat in Telangana- on November 3.
Dubbaka fell vacant after its former TRS MLA S Ramalinga Reddy died due to a heart attack. Ramalinga Reddy is survived by wife Sujatha Reddy, son Satish Reddy and daughter Udayasri. With the seat falling vacant, the two families of Ramalinga Reddy and Muthyam Reddy are making hectic lobbying for the Dubbaka ticket. With just a month to file nomination, the two families are scrambling to secure the ticket. Internal party bickering and groupism has already started in Dubbaka with one group lobbying for the ticket for Ramalinga Reddy’s son Satish Reddy, another group is exerting pressure on the party leadership to consider the name of Cheruku Muthyam Reddy’s son Srinivas Reddy.
For several political parties, it has been a tradition and norm to award tickets to the kin of a deceased in a bid to cash in on the sympathy wave.
While two families of Ramalinga Reddy and Muthyam Reddy are heavily lobbying for the ticket, the TRS high command has so far not declare the name of the candidate whose prospect of getting the ticket seems slim. With both families scrambling for the Dubbaka ticket, the TRS high command seems to have caught in a dilemma. TRS founder president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao apparently is toying with a middle path. The TRS boss is mulling to field a new face. According to some political circles, KCR is thinking of giving the party ticket to a well-educated candidate. Another name has cropped. It is learnt that Siddipet District collector Venkatram Reddy could be fielded in Dubbaka bypolls. Venkatram Reddy is keenly interested in taking political plunge. Earlier, he tried for a ticket to contest Assembly elections from Husnabad constituency. Subsequently, his name was almost finalised for the Parliamentary ticket from Malkajgiri constituency. With the Dubbaka elections, his name has once again cropped.
KCR seems to be in favouring of awarding the ticket to Venkatram Reddy.
The notification for the Dubbaka byelections will be released on October 9, while nominations should be filed on or before October 16. Nomination withdrawal will be accepted on or before October 19. The polling for Dubbaka will be held on November 3 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10. Dubbaka fell vacant after its former TRS MLA S Ramalinga Reddy died due to a heart attack. The political parties have already entered into the campaign mode. Finance Minister T Harish Rao has already made several visits to Dubbaka constituency. The TRS is making all efforts to retain the seat, while the Congress party has started conducting meetings with local leaders. Siddipet District Congress Committee president T Narsa Reddy was among the contenders for the ticket, while BJP could field M Raghunandana Rao for the seat. Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) led by Prof. Kodandaram had also announced that it would contest the elections.
