KCR announces three more candidates, BCs take prime share of seats

BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday announced three more party candidates for the May 13 Lok Sabha elections in the State, thus taking the total number of BRS candidates in the fray to 16 of the 17 Parliamentary constituencies. The names announced on Saturday include senior leader T Padma Rao Goud, MLA and former Minister, from Secunderabad, Kyama Mallesh from Bhongir, and Kancharla Krishna Reddy from Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituencies.

The names were finalised after discussions with party functionaries and elected representatives including party legislators from all the assembly segments in the constituencies. Padma Rao emerged as the ultimate choice of the party leadership as he had been associated with party right from the days of its fight for statehood, according to a statement from the party.

The BRS president had discussions with the party leaders from the constituencies concerned before announcing their names. Chandrashekhar Rao is yet to take a decision in respect of Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency. He had already decided to field RS Praveen Kumar from Nagarkurnool, Venkatrami Reddy from Medak, Manne Srinivas Reddy from Mahbubnagar, B Vinod Kumar from Karimnagar, Koppula Eshwar from Peddapally, Gali Anil Kumar from Zaheerabad, Nama Nageshwar Rao from Khammam, Kasani Gyaneshwar Mudiraj from Chevella, Maloth Kavitha from Mahabubabad, Ragidi Lakshma Reddy from Malkajgiri, Atram Sakku from Adilabad, Bajireddy Govardhan from Nizamabad and Kadiyam Kavya from Warangal.

A look at the names announced so far shows that Chandrashekhar Rao has stuck to the



principle of social justice, giving the prime share of the party tickets for the upcoming parliamentary polls to the backward classes.

The State has eleven of the 17 seats in the general category. The party, after several rounds of consultations with legislators and party functionaries concerned, he announced the names of aspirants from BC communities for five Lok Sabha constituencies. The list of BC nominees of the party is likely to have one more addition soon, according to party leaders.

The BRS chief is expected to nominate another BC leader as the party candidate for Hyderabad parliamentary constituency also. In a way, the BRS chief has set an example forcing other political parties also to accord due priority for the BC representation in politics, the leaders said.

Five of the 17 seats in Telangana are in reserved category. Two of them were reserved for STs and three for SCs. Mahabubabad parliamentary constituency was allotted for a woman candidate from the Lambada community while Adilabad was given to the Adivasi community.

As for the three SC reserved constituencies, Nagarkurnool and Warangal were allotted for the Madiga community while Peddapalli was allotted for the Mala community. Two seats were allotted to Munnuru Kapus (Zaheerabad, Nizamabad), one seat each to Mudiraj (Medak) and Yadav (Bhongir). The party gave the Secunderabad seat to a Gouda leader, while six of the 17 seats were allotted to OCs. These included four from the Reddy community and one each from the Velama and Kamma community, party leaders pointed out.