Despite being in power and despite having such a powerful leader as KCR, the ruling TRS is finding it difficult to zero in on a perfect candidate to fight Eatala Rajender in Huzurabad bypoll. The party is finding that its options are limited and that Eatala is too tough a rival to fight with.
After the stupendous victory in the 2018 assembly elections, the TRS became unassailable, The opposition was almost non-existent. The Congress MLAs who had managed to win were finding their way to the TRS party, while the BJP had just one MLA. The MIM, which had seven MLAs, is TRS Party's best friend. So, there was literally no opposition worth the name to the TRS.
Yet, 2019 lok Sabha elections administered the first jolt to the TRS when the TRS, which hoped to make a clean sweep along with the MIM. However, the TRS could win only nine of the 17 seats. Later, it was Dubbak and then the GHMC. In both the elections, the TRS lost. It is another matter that the TRS still managed to get its mayor elected in the GHMC. Though Nagarjunasagar and the Graduate constituency elections redeemed the party's prestige a bit, now it finds the going tough in the Huzurabad bye-elections.
But for the Huzurabad election, the ruling TRS is looking for the right candidate. T TDP's ex chief Ramana was thought to be a foil for Eatala. But, now it turns out that he has been brought mainly to help Kavitha win from Jagityal assembly seat. Then, they thought of Kaushik Reddy. They wanted to make him resign from the Congress and become TRS candidate. However, the leakage of his audio clips have sealed his fate. He cannot now hope to become a candidate. Though Peddireddy is being touted as a candidate, he does not have it in him to win the elections. At the best, he could become an additive factor in ensuring TRS victory. The party is also looking at Kadiyam Srihari, Capt Lakshmikanth Rao, B Vinod and even Kashyap Reddy. But, it is yet to decide on the candidate.
After the stupendous victory in the 2018 assembly elections, the TRS became unassailable, The opposition was almost non-existent. The Congress MLAs who had managed to win were finding their way to the TRS party, while the BJP had just one MLA. The MIM, which had seven MLAs, is TRS Party's best friend. So, there was literally no opposition worth the name to the TRS.
Yet, 2019 lok Sabha elections administered the first jolt to the TRS when the TRS, which hoped to make a clean sweep along with the MIM. However, the TRS could win only nine of the 17 seats. Later, it was Dubbak and then the GHMC. In both the elections, the TRS lost. It is another matter that the TRS still managed to get its mayor elected in the GHMC. Though Nagarjunasagar and the Graduate constituency elections redeemed the party's prestige a bit, now it finds the going tough in the Huzurabad bye-elections.
But for the Huzurabad election, the ruling TRS is looking for the right candidate. T TDP's ex chief Ramana was thought to be a foil for Eatala. But, now it turns out that he has been brought mainly to help Kavitha win from Jagityal assembly seat. Then, they thought of Kaushik Reddy. They wanted to make him resign from the Congress and become TRS candidate. However, the leakage of his audio clips have sealed his fate. He cannot now hope to become a candidate. Though Peddireddy is being touted as a candidate, he does not have it in him to win the elections. At the best, he could become an additive factor in ensuring TRS victory. The party is also looking at Kadiyam Srihari, Capt Lakshmikanth Rao, B Vinod and even Kashyap Reddy. But, it is yet to decide on the candidate.