Allu Aravind calls the shots in PR

As the top leadership of the Praja Rajyam got down to the business of fine-tuning the list of its candidates, the emerging picture showed that party general secretary Allu Aravind has the final say in finalising the names.

Although there is an elaborate selection process in place, all roads lead only to Mr. Aravind, reveal at least a dozen top leaders including vice-presidents, general secretaries and those expected to have a say in the decision-making process.

For the record though, an application from a partyman seeking the ticket, regardless of where it is submitted, goes to the party’s office secretary in Road No. 5 Jubilee Hills who acknowledges receipt, after which it is entered into a computer and forwarded to the district convenor concerned.

After a preliminary check, it is passed on to the party’s Regional Election Committee (REC), which again adds value by circulating it for additional inputs from individual district leaders.

The REC then sends the reports to Ch. Harirama Jogaiah who heads the party’s State Election Committee, to be put before the party president, who approves the candidature after consulting Mr. Aravind. However, not many leaders know the existence of the three RECs. Members in the REC for Telangana include E. Peddi Reddy (former TDP and erstwhile Nava Telangana Party leader), Pawan Kalyan, general secretary P. Mitra and presidential secretary K.V. Rao.

The Rayalaseema REC comprises general secretary Sobha Nagi Reddy, former MP C. Ramachandraiah, Kotagiri Vidyadhar Rao and Mr. K.V. Rao, while the coastal Andhra REC has Tammineni Sitaram, P. Upendra, Yelamanchali Sivaji and Katti Padma Rao.

As the number of aspirants doing the rounds of party offices and residences of leaders swelled, PR president Chiranjeevi and his core team of ‘selectors’ shifted to three different venues in and around Hyderabad on Thursday and Friday to carry out the exercise in peace.

On Saturday though, Mr. Chiranjeevi met convenors from the districts that go to the polls in Phase I, at his residence. Mr. Aravind and the PR chief’s brother Mr. Pawan Kalyan were present.

Noisy protest

Even as the meeting was going on, some aspirants for the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat gathered at the president’s office on Road No. 46, Jubilee Hills and staged a noisy protest against the naming of Syed Humayun, a sound technician and electrician known to Mr. Chiranjeevi, as the candidate from the constituency.