Suspense on TRS candidature for Warangal East

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who announced the first list of 105 candidates, held back the candidature for Warangal East Assembly constituency. Sitting MLA Konda Surekha had won the elections on a TRS ticket with about 60 per cent votes in 2014. Her husband Konda Muralidhar Rao is an MLC from the TRS.

According to party sources, Konda Surekha had sought two MLA tickets for her family as she wanted to promote her daughter Sushmitha Patel in politics. In this regard, Muralidhar Rao and Surekha had at several meetings in the past announced that Sushmitha Patel would enter electoral politics and was ready to contest if the party offers ticket. Muralidhar Rao had also conducted meetings with his followers in Bhupalpally constituency to send a message that his daughter was ready to contest from Bhupalpally. 

However, the party leadership had reportedly made it clear that they could offer only one ticket to the family and asked Surekha whether she wants the ticket for herself or for her daughter. Meanwhile, TRS leaders including former Minister Baswaraju Saraiah, Mayor N Narender and Errabelli Pradeep Rao were also aspiring for the ticket from Warangal East constituency. It is learnt that the Konda couple was in Hyderabad on Thursday following a call from the party leadership.“According to my knowledge, ticket would be given either to Surekha or her daughter Sushmitha though there are several other aspirants,” a senior leader of the party said.