Sabita caught in pincers over Chevella candidate

HYDERABAD: Former home minister Sabita Indra Reddy, popularly called Chevella Chellamma, is now caught between two candidates in the Chevella ticket race as former MLA and TRS leader KS Ratnam is likely to join Congress eyeing the ticket.
While Sabita is contesting from Maheswaram constituency and her son P Karthik Reddy is trying for Rajendranagar ticket, she wanted her follower P Venkataswamy, a former ZPTC, to be given the Chevella reserved seat from Congress.
Ratnam, who is upset over TRS leadership as sitting MLA Kale Yadaiah was given ticket again by chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, is in talks with the Telangana Congress leadership for joining the party.
Sabita's family has massive influence in three assembly constituencies Maheswaram, Rajendranagar and Chevella. As Chevella is a reserved seat, her follower Kale Yadaiah from Congress got elected in 2014, and he defected to TRS later. KS Ratnam, who contested from TRS, lost to Yadaiah then in the elections with 341 votes margin.
Sabita told TOI, "I am not against KS Ratnam as he is a former follower of my husband Indra Reddy and later was with me. But, Venkateswamy has been working for the party for years and an aspirant. Venkatswamy was denied the Congress ticket twice due to the sub-caste equation within Congress."
As Vikarabad ticket was given to SC Mala candidate in 2014, Chevella ticket is not given to Venkataswamy who belongs to SC Mala. It was given to Kale Yadiah, who belongs to SC Madiga community. Ratnam belongs to SC Madiga Community. Sabita said, "It will be painful if Venkataswamy is denied ticket." Ratnam told TOI, "I am still in TRS. I am holding a meeting in my constituency with local leaders and will decide it on September 12."
A local leader and follower of Ratnam said, "Last time, Ratnam lost the election with slight margin due to the local TRS leader backstabbing him. He was denied ticket at the instance of minister Mahendra Reddy who helped Yadaiah get the ticket."