Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, as part of his strategy to make it big at the national level in the coming days.
According to party sources, KCR is planning to contest from Nalgonda parliamentary constituency in a bid to wipe out whatever little authority the Congress party has in the district.
Sitting MP Guttha Sukhender Redddy, who defected from Congress to the TRS after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, is expected to be made an MLC and taken into the state cabinet.
But, one wonders why KCR has decided against contesting from a safe seat like Medak, which he had represented in the past?
Party sources say KCR is planning to field his nephew T Harish Rao from Medak, so that there would be no hurdle for his son and TRS working president K T Rama Rao from becoming the chief minister of Telangana after May.
Apparently, both KCR and KTR do not want any alternative power centre in the state.
The TRS chief also feels that Harish Rao would be of great help to him in wielding power at the Centre.
Since KCR himself would be in Parliament, Harish would also not pose any problem for his daughter K Kavitha, who he wants to see as a Union minister.
Except these minor changes, there might not be any changes in the list of the TRS candidates.
However, for the seats to be vacated by TRS, like Chevella (due to defection of sitting MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy into the Congress), Peddapalli (due to resignation of MP Balka Suman on his election as an MLA) and Malkajgiri (due to resignation of sitting MP Malla Reddy to become an MLA), KCR will look for new candidates.
In all probability, KCR may field former minister P Mahender Reddy or legislative council chairman T Swamy Goud from Chevella and Bandi Ramesh from Malkajgiri.
For Peddapalli, there are reports that former MP G Vivek may not get the party ticket as KTR is opposing him. The party may field another loyal candidate from this constituency.