TRS likely to field Ravi Kumar from Warangal Lok Sabha seat

Hyderabad: Telangana Advocates' Joint Action Committee president Gudimalla Ravi Kumar is most likely to be the candidate of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the ensuing by-elections to Warangal Lok Sabha seat. TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is learnt to have finalised the name of Ravi Kumar, after prolonged discussions with the party leaders from Warangal district here on Thursday. “We have authorised the party president to take a decision on the candidate.

An announcement will be made on Friday,” Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari told media after the meeting. The Warangal Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the resignation of Kadiyam, who was inducted into the Cabinet and later made a member of the Legislative Council. The Warangal by-elections are scheduled to be held on November 21. Stating that gimmicks by opposition parties would not work in the bye-elections, Kadiyam predicted a thumping win for the party in Warangal Lok Sabha constituency.

“Locals are with the ruling party and Opposition parties stand no chance in the polls as they are unable to select suitable candidates,” Srihari said. Earlier, district party leaders suggested to the leadership to go in for a local candidate from the district. The names of



Pasunuri Dayakar and P Sambaiah were also discussed. Sources said that the Chief Minister wanted an educated person with knowledge of Telugu, English and Hindi to go to Parliament and Ravi Kumar was eligible in this category, as he is an advocate and also leader of workers’ union in the district.

KCR wanted that all the leaders ensure the victory of the party candidate. He said that leaders who could not get seat would be accommodated in the nominated posts. The party has decided to make ministers as in-charges of each of the seven Assembly constituencies falling under Warangal Lok Sabha. The in-charge ministers are T Harish Rao - Warangal East, KTR - Warangal West, G Jagadish Reddy - Palakurthi, Etela Rajender - Parkal, A Indrakaran Reddy - Station Ghanpur, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy - Bhoopalapally and Jogu Ramanna -Wardhannapet.

Srihari said that party leaders from seven Assembly constituencies falling under Warangal Lok Sabha would meet at 11 am on November 1 and begin campaigning the same day. He informed that the Chief Minister would take up campaign in Warangal either on November 17 or 18.

He said that people would vote TRS looking at the good works taken up by the government during the last 16 months.