Hyderabad: The BRS stepped up preparations for the Khairatabad Assembly by-election as several aspirants emerged for the party ticket. The BRS Khairatabad ticket race gathered momentum as the party considered local political equations and neighbourhood-level influence. It was also assessing the prospects of different aspirants before selecting its candidate.
The by-election followed the disqualification of former MLA Danam Nagender. He won the Khairatabad constituency on a BRS ticket in the 2023 Assembly elections. However, Nagender subsequently contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate.
Nagender challenged his disqualification through legal proceedings. The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the Telangana High Court judgment. The by-election emerged as an important political test for the BRS as the party prepared to reclaim the constituency.
BRS Khairatabad ticket race draws several aspirants
Manne Goverdhan Reddy was among those seeking the BRS nomination. He contested Khairatabad on the party ticket in 2014. Goverdhan Reddy was also understood to have sought consideration for his wife, Manne Kavitha, if the party did not select him.
BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan was another name under discussion within the party. Sravan contested the constituency as a Congress candidate in 2018. Former MLA P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy was also reported to be interested in contesting the by-election.
Meanwhile, Talasani Sai Kiran emerged as another prominent name in the discussions. Supporters of former Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav were reportedly backing Sai Kiran’s candidature. His supporters cited his organisational strength and local support while pressing his case for the nomination.
The BRS Khairatabad ticket race consequently presented the party leadership with the task of managing several aspirants. The leadership would also have to bring their supporters together after finalising the candidate.
Khairatabad had developed into a three-way political contest involving the Congress, BJP and BRS. The constituency had witnessed significant shifts in electoral fortunes since the formation of Telangana.