Hyderabad: Even before the grand alliance began discussing seats adjustments, controversy has struck the Telugu Desam in the state. The issue is being escalated to TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Telangana TD had identified some seats to offer to the alliance during seat sharing talks. Some senior leaders like Mr L. Ramana and Mr Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy may not get their home constituencies. The TD leaders have agreed that one family will get only one ticket, unlike the previous times. This is so because the TD may end up having few seats this time round.
According to sources, Mr Ramana and former MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy left to Vijayawada to discuss the seat adjustments with Mr Naidu. Mr Chandrasekhar Reddy’s home constituency is Wanaparthi in the old Mahbubnagar district. Congress leader G. Chinna Reddy was elected from this constituency in 2014 and the party is refusing to hand over this seat. Mr Chandasekhar Reddy now has to shift to Devarakadra Assembly constituency. In undivided AP, senior TD leader Kotthakota Dayakar Reddy was elected from Makthal and his wife Sitadevi from Devarakadra. In the seat adjustment if the TD gets these both seats, Mr Dayakar Reddy and Ms Sitadevi will claim. That could make things difficult for Mr Chandrasekhar Reddy.
Some Telangana TD leaders are thinking of giving the Makthal ticket to Mr Dayakar Reddy and Devarakadra to Mr Chandrasekhar Reddy. This issue will be discussed with the high command. Mr Ramana’s home constituency is Jagityal in Karimnagar district. The Congress is firm on contesting from this seat which is represented by its senior leader T. Jeevan Reddy. Mr Ramana has to contest from Koratla or sit out the elections.
Mr Prakash Reddy is very particular on contesting from Narasampet constituency from where he has been elected thrice in a row. In 2014, the seat was won by Congress rebel D. Madhava Reddy who later joined the TRS. Congress leaders say that Narasampet is their stronghold, and it may not possible to allot it to TD. Sources close to Mr Prakash Reddy said that if the Congress would not let go of the seat, he would contest as an independent.
