The six ministers who lost are besides KCR, who suffered defeat in Kamareddy and successfully retained Gajwel.
Published Dec 03, 2023 | 8:07 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 03, 2023 | 8:07 PM
Telangana CM KCR review meeting with the Cabinet Ministers. (Supplied X)
As many as six ministers in the K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government tasted defeat in the Assembly elections, while eight others romped home, even as the Congress, leading in 65 seats, is all set to form its government in Telangana.
Out of the 17 Cabinet ministers, three MLCs were not involved in the elections, while the remaining 14 were renominated in their respective constituencies. KCR, who contested from two constituencies, suffered a surprise defeat in Kamareddy while he retained Gajwel.
KT Rama Rao: After completing his education and a brief stint working abroad, he entered politics by contesting from the Sircilla Assembly constituency on a TRS (now BRS) ticket in 2009. He has been representing the constituency ever since.
In 2014, he became a minister in the first Telangana government, holding portfolios such as Municipal Admin and Urban Development, Industry and Commerce, and IT.
In the 2023 elections, KTR has once again retained the constituency with a margin of over 29,000 votes against Mahender Reddy of the Congress, who bagged just 59,500 votes.
Thanneer Harish Rao: He was elected from the Siddipet Assembly constituency in a bypoll in 2004, after his uncle, KCR, vacated the seat and shifted to Parliament.
Rao won Siddipet consecutively six times and has not faced defeat. In 2019, he took charge of the Finance portfolio, and later Health after Eatala Rajender resigned from the Cabinet and the party.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, he retained his seat with a margin of over 80,000 votes against the Congress’s Didi Srikanth Reddy.
Talasani Srinivas Yadav: He previously associated with the TDP and later shifted allegiance to the BRS after the 2014 elections. He successfully defended his seat in 2018.
Yadav, the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Cinematography in the second KCR government, faced competition from the BJP’s Marri Shashidhar Reddy and Kota Neelima of the Congress in the Sanathnagar constituency.
He retained the seat with a majority of over 41,000 votes. The BJP candidate came second.
Chamakura Malla Reddy: A businessman-turned-politician, Malla Reddy was the only TDP candidate who won the election to the Lok Sabha from Telangana in 2014. He later joined the BRS. In 2018, he contested from the Medchal and was made the Minister of Labour and Employment.
Mallareddy has successfully retained his seat with a majority of over 33,000 votes this time.
G. Jagadeesh Reddy: The minister of Energy in the KCR Cabinet, Jagadeesh Reddy is seeking re-election for the third time from the Suryapet Assembly constituency. He was leading with a margin of 5,652 votes after 17 rounds of counting.
His nearest rival, Daromodar Reddy of the Congress, has secured 44,294 votes at the time of filing this report.
Sabitha Indra Reddy: The education minister was a former Congress leader who joined the TRS after she won from the Maheswaram Assembly constituency in 2018.
In 2009, she became the first female home minister of Andhra Pradesh — also the first female home minister of any state in India.
She has retained the constituency with a margin of over 26,500 votes against Andela Sriramulu Yadav of the Congress.
Gangula Kamalakar: He served as the Minister of BC Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs. Kamalakar was a TDP MLA who won from Karimnagar in 2009. He joined the BRS in 2013 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2018.
He has retained the Karimnagar segment, defeating the BJP’s former state chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar with a margin of over 4,500 votes.
Vemula Prashanth Reddy: Prashanth Reddy was the Minister of Roads, Buildings, Legislative Affairs, and Housing Department, and had been representing the Balkonda Assembly constituency since 2014.
He recorded a hat-trick win this time, pipping Sunil Kumar Muthyala of the Congress by over 4,500 votes.
Allola Indrakaran Reddy: A former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader, Indrakaran Reddy had won from the Nirmal constituency in 2014. He later shifted to the BRS.
In 2018, he successfully retained the seat against Alleti Maheshwar Reddy of the Congress, who later switched to the BJP. He was allotted the Forests and Environment, Science and Technology, Endowments, and Law portfolios in the KCR Cabinet.
He lost Nirmal to BJP’s Allot Maheshwar Reddy by 49,364 votes.
Singireddy Niranjan Reddy. The Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs faced setbacks in his early political career as he lost two constituencies, Kollapur and Wanaparthy, in 2014.
However, in 2018, he won from Wanaparthy, defeating Dr Gillela Chinna Reddy of the Congress by a margin of over 50,000 votes.
However, he tasted defeat this time when the Congress captured Wanaparthy through Megha Reddy by a margin of over 25,000 votes.
Koppula Eshwar: The Minority Welfare Minister from the Dharmapuri Assembly constituency is facing a stiff challenge from Alluri Laxman Kumar of the Congress. He was trailing by over 22,000 votes at the time of filing this report.
Errabelli Dayakar Rao: The Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply began his political career with the TDP and was an MLA six times. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Warangal in the 2008 by-election. He joined the TRS in 2016 and won the Palakurthi constituency.
However, Yashaswini Mamidala of the Congress defeated him by a margin of over 25,000 votes this time.
Puvvada Ajay Kumar: Formerly a Congress leader, Ajay Kumar was elected in the 2014 elections from Khammam. In 2016, he quit the Congress and joined the BRS. In 2018, he was re-elected and was made the Transport Minister.
Ajay Kumar was trailing Tummala Nageswara Rao of the Congress by over 24,300 votes at the time of filing this report.
Srinivas Goud: He was elected twice from Mahbubnagar. Goud, a confidant of KCR and KTR, held the Prohibition & Excise, Youth Services, Sports, Tourism, Culture & Archeology portfolios.
He lost to Yennam Srinivas Reddy of the Congress by a margin of more than 18,300 votes.
