ADILABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is taking extra care this time in the selection of party candidates for the assembly elections. Loyalists are likely to be given priority over others in the ruling party when the final list is made.
BRS senior leaders say KCR reviewing the performance of the ticket aspirants and sitting MLA based on survey reports but ‘loyalty’ of the candidate to the party and KCRs’ leadership would be the prime yardsticks.
KCR is getting feedback from various sources about the ticket aspirants. He is checking personal backgrounds by even cross-checking the motives of senior leaders. He is also checking the credentials of those who his own family members recommend for any constituency.
Some BRS senior leaders of the erstwhile Adilabad district recently got calls from KCR. They went and met him before the CM made up his mind about the party candidates from the respective assembly constituency. He was trying to find out how ‘loyal’ the ticket aspirants are to the party and to him.
“KCR is keen on avoiding any political crisis to him in the future, keeping in mind the splits that the Shiv Sena and the NCP faced in Maharashtra. KCR and KTR decided on selecting a party candidate by ignoring a recommendation in favour of a sitting MLA made by a senior party leader from the KCRs family,” a source said.
Some BRS MLAs as also leaders aspiring for party tickets are approaching finance minister Harish Rao and citing their association with him during the Separate Telangana state agitation to press their case for a party ticket this time.
