TD, PR ignore NRIs’ appeal for seats

BY J.R.PRASAD

Hyderabad, April 4: Non-resident Indians from the state, who plunged into politics, are an unhappy lot now as the parties which were after them for money have given them a raw deal while allotting tickets.

When the TD chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, visited the US and other countries to raise funds for the TD and the NTR Trust, many NRIs arranged banquets with an eye on tickets. Later, they moved to the state and worked for the party hoping for a ticket.
In the TD, as many as 40 NRIs competed for tickets. Only two of them were succesful. The TD had allotted Kadapa Lok Sabha seat to Mr Palem Srikanth Reddy and Darsi Assembly ticket to Mr M. Venkataramana, both NRIs.
Some of the prominent NRIs who were denied a ticket include, Mr Komati Jayaram, son of former MLA, Komati Bhaskar Rao, who heads the Telugu NRI organisation, TANA.
He was eyeing the Vijayawada Lok Sabha ticket. His brother, Mr Sudhakar Rao, aspired for Mylavaram Assembly seat. However, the party leadership fielded Mr Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, the sitting party MLA from Nandigama for that seat.
Another NRI, Mr Navaneeta Krishna, who claimed the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat was also not obliged. Dallas-based Mr Kesineni Kishore also attempted in vain for the ticket. Mr Dasari Sateesh, a New Jersey-based NRI, who aspired for the Vijayawada East Assembly seat, was also disappointed. Another NRI, Mr Vemana Satish’s efforts to secure the Rajampet ticket also went in vain.