The elections to the Telangana state assembly are due in another 15 months or could be held even earlier in case the Election Commission decides to advance them. All the political parties in the state are gearing up to face the challenge.
But the biggest challenge for leaders of almost all the major parties is from their respective families.
While these leaders are anyway getting ready to contest the elections, their family members are also evincing interest in contesting and are demanding that they be given party tickets.
In the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, in several constituencies, apart from the sitting MLAs, their children are also asking for the party tickets in the next elections.
For example, in Mahbubabad, former minister Redya Naik wants the TRS ticket to his daughter Kavitha, apart from ticket to himself from Dornakal.
Warangal (East) MLA Konda Surekha, whose husband Konda Murali is an MLC, is demanding the party ticket to her daughter Sushmita from Bhoopalpalli this time.
Former Congress MLA from Gosahamahal Mukesh Goud is also learnt to have put the condition that he would join the TRS only if he and his son Vikram Goud are given tickets this time.
Senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP K Kesava Rao’s son is also said to be in the race.
In the Congress, too, several seniors are demanding that their family members also should be given party tickets to contest the next elections.
Among those who are putting forth their demand are: K Jana Reddy, D K Aruna, Damodar Rajnarasimha, Bhikshapathi Yadav, Jeevan Reddy, Marri Shashidhar Reddy etc.
The party leaderships cannot deny tickets on the pretext of family rules, because the top bosses themselves are encouraging it.
Everybody knows how TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao is promoting his family members.
Even Telangana PCC president Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy is no exception as his wife Padmavathi is also an MLA!
