EX-BRS MLA Aravind Reddy expresses disappointment over ticket distribution

Aravind Reddy requested Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) to give the ticket for Mancherial to a backward-class candidate, citing that the population of BCs was high in the constituency

Former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Mancherial, Gaddam Aravind Reddy has expressed his disappointment and criticised the party's high command for "neglecting" the backward class leaders from the Mancherial constituency. Reddy objected to the selection of the sitting MLA Diwakar Rao as the party candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections, Deccan Chronicle (DC) has reported.

Aravind Reddy requested Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) to give the ticket to a backward-class candidate, citing that the population of BCs was high in the constituency.

Aravind Reddy recently organised an Athmeeya Sammelanam in Mancherial and announced that if the backward class community stood united, a backward class candidate would become the next MLA in Mancherial. "Or, I will contest the polls if the BCs support me," he added.

Furthermore, Reddy said that he would soon meet state minister Harish Rao and request an appointment with KCR to discuss the situation on the ground in Mancherial, the DC report said.

There are talks about Aravind Reddy exploring chances of getting a ticket for himself from the Congress and the BJP. Reddy said that MLA Diwakar failed to develop the Mancherial assembly constituency.

Arvind Reddy has been denied a BRS ticket this time. However, he is believed to have some hold on the coal belt areas since he played an active role in the Telangana agitation. Earlier, he had joined the Congress just after Telangana was formed, but did not get the party ticket and thus, returned to the BRS in 2014.

During the last two elections, Arvind Reddy had extended his support to the party candidate Diwakar Rao. KCR is said to have promised Reddy a key role in the party or an MLC post. However, neither of these has happened so far.