The State Congress leadership in Hyderabad has welcomed top leaders like MLA Mynampally Hanumantha Rao and former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy from the ruling BRS. This has disappointed loyal leaders who had applied for tickets. These loyal leaders are unhappy because they had worked hard to raise ground support during public meetings and the latest membership drive. They are concerned that the turncoats who joined the Congress may shift their loyalties after winning on the party’s ticket, just like what happened in the past when some party MLAs joined the BRS.
Many of the aspirants have put a lot of effort into enrolling members and mobilizing crowds during public meetings. They feel that their hard work is not being recognized and that newcomers are being given tickets instead. This is causing a dent in the morale of the existing cadre. A senior leader cautions that giving tickets to newcomers may have a negative impact on the party.
In some constituencies, there is disquiet among leaders like Ponguleti. The clout enjoyed by top leaders like former MP Renuka Chowdary and former minister Sambani Chandrasekhar has been reduced. As a result, several aspirants who were hoping to contest from these constituencies are feeling anxious as the party prepares to release its first list.
One such constituency is Malkajgiri, where CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s team visited MLA Mynampally and later had to visit local DCC president Nandikanti Sridhar, who was the original ticket aspirant from the constituency. Sridhar believes that he will still be given a ticket, but if that doesn’t happen, he will consult with his cadre before deciding on the next steps. In 2014, he contested on a party ticket but lost, and in 2018, the seat was allotted to TJS as part of the ‘Mahakutami’ alliance, which triggered a protest from him.
