Hyderabad: TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is said to have finalised 15 of the 16 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, but may present a double-surprise in Nalgonda.
Mr Venkat Reddy rejected speculations and said he would continue in the Congress. He said he would get the party ticket in the first list and win the Nalgonda seat with one-lakh majority. He said some TRS leaders were playing spoilsport to tarnish his image.
For the other seats, sources in the TRS said, Mr Rao would re-nominate seven MPs — B. Vinod Kumar (Karim-nagar), Godam Nagesh (Adilabad), K. Kavitha (Nizamabad), B.B. Patil (Zaheerabad), K. Prabh-akar Reddy (Medak), P. Dayakar (Warangal), and B. Narsaiah Goud (Bhongir).
From Chevella, in place of Mr Konda Vishweshwar Reddy who joined the Congress last year, the TRS was likely to field Mr G. Ranjith Reddy, an industrialist from Warangal district. Mr G. Vivek is likely to get the ticket from Peddapalli and former minister P. Ramulu from Nagarkurnool.
Sources said that for the Mahbubabad seat, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao was examining the candidatures of sitting MP Sitaram Naik, former MLA M. Kavitha and Telangana representative at Delhi Ramachandra Naik, a former IAS officer
From Khammam, the party chief is said to be considering the names of V. Rajendra Prasad, an industrialist, besides those of sitting MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao.
Mr Rao is likely to pick Mr. Naveen Rao, an industrialist, or Mr Marri Rajasekhar Reddy, son-in-law of minister Ch. Malla Reddy, from Malkajgiri.
The TRS chief may accommodate Mr M.S.N. Reddy, an industrialist, Mahbubnagar, in case he decides to drop Mr Jithender Reddy
For Secunderabad, the probables are party leaders Vinod Yadav, D. Vithal, T. Sai Kiran Yadav and Ms B Sri Devi Yadav, wife of Mayor B. Rammohan.
Sources said that after the series of meetings that TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao is having in the Lok Sabha constituencies, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao will announce the names of party candidates.
