The BJP Central leadership has announced a single candidate, A.P. Mithun Kumar Reddy, as the nominee for Mahabubnagar Assembly constituency through a press release by national general secretary and headquarter in-charge Arun Singh on Friday.
A single name being announced, while candidates for 66 other constituencies are yet to be named, is pretty unusual for the national party. The candidate is the son of former MP A.P. Jitender Reddy, and the Central leadership cleared his name after the former opted out of contesting the elections, according to top party sources.
Strong message
The party leadership, conscious of its main campaign plank of being against “dynastic politics and family rule”, which it unleashes against the Congress nationwide and the BRS in Telangana, has sent a strong message that tickets would be issued to the kith and kin of political leaders only if they are no longer contenders or in active politics.
It is also one of the reasons why the party is finding it tough to accommodate the wishes of some of the senior leaders who have been seeking party tickets for their respective sons or daughters in the remaining constituencies. Lobbying for a ticket for a son or daughter for the Assembly elections and MP ticket for the father/mother for the next Parliament polls has been nipped in the bud in many constituencies, claimed top party sources.
Caste card?
But, it also faces a dilemma with regard to the sons or daughters of those in gubernatorial posts – active or retired. There are strong ‘family’ contenders for a couple of seats, one in the city and another in the district, but there are equally powerful lobbies working against them playing the caste card.
There are close to 20 constituencies in the remaining segments in Nalgonda, Sangareddy, Bodhan, and Nizamabad, and in the city, where the party will find it tough to decide as there is a direct tussle between veterans and newcomers, said party sources, declining to be identified.
There is already a feeling of restlessness in the veterans’ camp about newcomers calling the shots and the local leadership not backing them, apparently not wishing to upset the apple cart lest more leaders quit. The party is also yet to finalise the manifesto with the committee formed for the task meeting just a couple of times, they added.
