The change looks imminent. The Assembly constituencies falling under the limits of Greater Hyderabad are all set to send some fresh faces to the first Legislative Assembly of Telangana State.
Of 24 Assembly segments in the GHMC limits, as many as seven will send fresh faces to the new Assembly. The Congress and MIM have dropped seven sitting MLAs for different reasons. While the Congress party dropped five MLAs, the MIM rested two sitting members. Congress stalwart T Maneamma has been dropped from Musheerabad Assembly constituency. She has been replaced with Dr Vinay Kumar, son of former Union Minister Dr P Shiv Shankar.
The construction of a temple of Sonia Gandhi did not help former minister Dr P Shankar Rao in securing a party ticket this time from the Cantonment. He was so confident about re-nomination that he was also lobbying for a ticket for his daughter. However, the party gave him a shock and replaced him with Osmania University JAC leader Krishank, whose name was reportedly recommended by former deputy CM C Damodara Rajanarasimha.
Malkajgiri MLA Akula Rajender’s decision to switch over to TRS from Congress proved too costly for him. Sensing that he might not be given a ticket by the TRS too, he returned to the Congress fold. However, re-joining did not prevent the Congress High Command from replacing him with Nandi Kanti Sridhar.
The Congress also denied ticket to former Home Minister P Sabitha Indira Reddy. The Maheshwaram seat, which she represented in 2009, has been left for the CPI which nominated former MP Aziz Pasha as its candidate. Similarly, the Congress replaced Uppal MLA B Raji Reddy with B Laxma Reddy.
The MIM too made two major replacements. Nampally MLA Virasat Rasool Khan has been dropped due to non-performance. He has been replaced with former Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain Meraj. Similarly Karwan MLA Mohd Muqtada Afsar Khan has been replaced with Kausar Mohiuddin. According to party sources, Afsar Khan was dropped due to his ill-health.
In Nampally constituency, the MIM is facing tough competition from Feroz Khan, who joined the Telugu Desam Party in the last hour. The rivalry between Feroz Khan and Meraj Hussain is said to be quite old and this time, both will fight each other to win the hearts of Nampally voters.
The MIM candidate is facing strong opposition from MBT candidates in both Chandrayangutta and Yakutpura constituencies. While MBT President Dr Khayam Khan is the candidate from Chandrayangutta against MIM’s Akbaruddin Owaisi, his younger brother Majeedullah Khan Farhat is in the fray from Yakutpura against Mumtaz Ahmed Khan. Both of them are drawing huge crowds in their public meetings.
Although the sitting MLAs are in the fray from 17 others seats, this time they have tough opposition compared to 2009 elections. For instance, former minister Danam Nagender will be competing with P Vijaya Reddy, daughter of former CLP leader P Janardhan Reddy, who is contesting on YSRCP ticket. Similarly, Congress MLA P Vishnu Vardhan Reddy is likely to have a close contest with Komatireddy Vinay Reddy of YSRCP. Khairtabad and Jubilee Hills are among a few seats where the YSR Congress appears strong due to the individual profiles of its candidates.
A keen contest is also expected in Sanathnagar constituency where TDP City President and former minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav will be taking on sitting MLA M Sashidhar Reddy of Congress party.
Another seat of high political importance is Amberpet where BJP Telangana unit President and sitting MLA G Kishan Reddy will be facing Rajya Sabha MP V Hanumanth Rao. The Congress fielded VHR from the seat giving rise to speculation that he might be one of the candidates for the Chief Minister’s post. VHR belongs to the Backward Classes and the Congress party had already announced that a BC would be made the next CM of Telangana. Therefore, the results of Amberpet would be of great importance.
It may be mentioned that Kishan Reddy had earlier refused to contest elections, apparently in opposition to the BJP’s tie-up with the TDP. However, he was directed by BJP National President Rajnath Singh to file his nomination from Amberpet. While Kishan Reddy is hoping to retain the seat on the basis of his performance and upper caste votes, VHR is banking on the BCs and minorities, who constitute majority of voters in Amberpet.
The other sitting MLAs who are in the fray include Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri (Charminar/MIM), Mohd. Moazam Khan (Bahadurpura/MIM), Mukesh Goud (Goshamahal/INC), Jayasudha (Secunderabad/INC), Kuna Srisailam Goud (Qutbullapur/INC), Nandeswar Goud (Patancheru/INC), D. Sudhir Reddy (L.B Nagar/INC), Bhikshapathi Yadav (Serilingampally/INC), Ahmad Bin Abdulla (Malakpet/MIM), T Prakash Goud (Rajendra Nagar/TDP) and Dr. Jaya Prakash Narayan Kukatpally/Lok Satta).