Hyderabad: The BRS appears to have gained the first mover advantage by announcing its Assembly elections candidates early. Most of them have covered all the mandals and a few of the nominees are campaigning in the villages, sources said.
Other parties are still deciding on their lists.
Apart from highlighting the government’s welfare and development schemes, some BRS candidates have started distributing voter slips, which is usually done just before the polling day.
The early announcement has helped the leadership pacify aspirants who did not find favour, or crack the whip. BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandra-shekar Rao renominated all but seven MLAs. There were fears that disappointed aspirants would rebel or head for other parties. That has by and large not happened, sources said.
Deft work by the leadership helped defuse tensions, sources pointed out. In Tandur, the party made MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy, a ticket aspirant, a minister. He then vowed to work with his former rival, ‘Pilot’ Rohith Reddy.
MLA T. Rajaiah, who had broken down on being denied a ticket, on Friday met BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and declared that he would work for his rival Kadiam Srihari.
Where necessary, like in the case of Mynampally Hanumantha Rao, who struck out at senior leader T. Harish Rao for denying his son a ticket, the party stood firm.
The quick decision-making, dousing of rebellion and early start to the campaign has presented a picture of stability that was drawing second-rung Opposition leaders to the BRS, sources said.
