Key Candidates

Akbaruddin Owaisi, the younger of the Owaisi brothers representing the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party, has faced numerous challenges in his political journey. He almost parted ways with the party after facing disapproval for his marriage to a Christian lady. Despite imprisonment for hate speech, he remains a sensational figure in Telangana. Currently representing the Chandrayangutta constituency in the Telangana Assembly, he successfully won five consecutive Assembly polls from Chandrayangutta in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2018. Growing up amid communal tensions, especially during the tumultuous times surrounding the Babri Masjid demolition, he actively participated in distributing relief during the Mumbai riots while his brother and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, studied law in London. Akbaruddin was brutally attacked in April 2011 while traveling in his constituency. In 2012, he spent 40 days in jail following an inflammatory speech in Nirmal. In 2007, his threats against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen resulted in her assault by AIMIM legislators in Hyderabad during the release of the Telugu translation of her book Shodh. He has multiple criminal cases across the country, primarily related to promoting enmity between different religious groups and disobeying law and order. He is seeking re-election from the same seat, Chandrayangutta, this time as well.

Etela Rajender is in one of the biggest electoral battles of his political career as he faces his former boss and incumbent Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. He served as a minister in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (formerly TRS) before joining the BJP in July 2021. Rajender was dismissed from the Cabinet over land grabbing allegations in Medak district, claiming unfair targeting by a faction within the party due to his influence in the BRS. A former student leader, he joined the TRS in 2003 and was elected as an MLA for the first time from Kamalapur Assembly constituency (united Andhra) in 2004, defeating sitting MLA Muddasani Damodar Reddy. He also served as the TRS floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Rajender was re-elected in 2008 from the same seat, which he later resigned, and in 2009 from Huzurabad. In 2021, after shifting to the BJP, he contested again from Huzurabad under the BJP ticket and won the bypoll, defeating TRS candidate Gellu Srinivas Yadav by a margin of 23,855 votes.

Etela Rajender is in one of the biggest electoral battles of his political career as he faces his former boss and incumbent Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. He served as a minister in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (formerly TRS) before joining the BJP in July 2021. Rajender was dismissed from the Cabinet over land grabbing allegations in Medak district, claiming unfair targeting by a faction within the party due to his influence in the BRS. A former student leader, he joined the TRS in 2003 and was elected as an MLA for the first time from Kamalapur Assembly constituency (united Andhra) in 2004, defeating sitting MLA Muddasani Damodar Reddy. He also served as the TRS floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Rajender was re-elected in 2008 from the same seat, which he later resigned, and in 2009 from Huzurabad. In 2021, after shifting to the BJP, he contested again from Huzurabad under the BJP ticket and won the bypoll, defeating TRS candidate Gellu Srinivas Yadav by a margin of 23,855 votes.

The president of Telangana Congress unit is known for his people connect. This former TDP leader joined the Congress in 2017 and quickly climbed ranks to become the state unit president in 2021. The MP from Malkajgiri was a two-time MLA from Kodangal when he was with the TDP. In 2015, he was arrested in the infamous cash-for-vote scandal that rocked the TDP. In a video which was widely circulated, he was allegedly seen offering bribe to an MLA. He was later released on bail. He is married to Geetha Reddy, niece of the late Congress leader, Jaipal Reddy.

The son of CM K Chandrashekar Rao, KTR, a suave US-educated politician is known for his balanced views and his helpful nature on Twitter. His office has helped many who have tweeted asking for various kinds of assistance. Being the IT minister, he has been the face of the expanding Hitec City for a decade. While it was being debated that he is too classy for a politician, his district tours and oration in Telugu put these fears to rest. He has been instrumental in bringing large MNC investments in the state. He fought for a separate state alongside his father.

The present CM of Telangana led a sustained agitation to carve out the youngest state in the country from Andhra Pradesh. After Telangana was formed in 2014, his TRS party formed the government and continues to hold power in its 10th year. After nine years of rule, the CM decided to go national and rechristened his party BRS. He made forays into Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh thereafter. The CM is known as a great believer in vedic rituals, astrology and vasstu shastra. He is known for his trademark oration in Telangana Telugu.

The president of Telangana Congress unit is known for his people connect. This former TDP leader joined the Congress in 2017 and quickly climbed ranks to become the state unit president in 2021. The MP from Malkajgiri was a two-time MLA from Kodangal when he was with the TDP. In 2015, he was arrested in the infamous cash-for-vote scandal that rocked the TDP. In a video which was widely circulated, he was allegedly seen offering bribe to an MLA. He was later released on bail. He is married to Geetha Reddy, niece of the late Congress leader, Jaipal Reddy.

Seethakka, also known as Anusuya, joined and actively participated in the Naxal movement at the young age of 14. After a decade, she distanced herself and entered mainstream politics, earning a postgraduate Law degree and practising as a lawyer in Warangal. In 2004, she aligned with the TDP but was unsuccessful as a candidate on the party's ticket. Recognized for her close ties with TDP leader Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Seethakka responded to Naidu's amnesty program in undivided Andhra Pradesh, surrendering to the police. Naidu had survived a 2003 attempt on his life by the People’s War Group, a retaliation to his government's encounter killings of top Naxal leaders. Seethakka secured her first victory from the Mulugu seat in 2009. After the bifurcation of United Andhra in 2017, Seethakka left the TDP and joined the Congress. She won the 2018 assembly elections and also served as the general secretary of All India Mahila Congress in 2018. During the Covid pandemic, Seethakka gained widespread recognition for her humanitarian efforts. Pictures and videos of her walking by foot, transporting food sacks, trekking hills and rivers to deliver relief materials, went viral on social media platforms, left quite an impression amongst people.

Thanneeru Harish Rao, nephew of TRS President Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, is often seen as the troubleshooter of the party. He played a crucial role in TRS’s overwhelming victory in the 2018 Assembly elections, where it won 88 seats out of the total 119 seats. Many thought he would be the successor to CM Rao until KT Rama Rao, KCR’s son, stepped in and was appointed as TRS’s working president. He has been the MLA from Siddipet constituency in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi party since 2004 and has served as a minister in various capacities, including Medical-Health, Finance, Irrigation, and Legislative Affairs. After winning the 2018 assembly election, Rao set a record of being the youngest six-time member of any legislative assembly in India.

The present CM of Telangana led a sustained agitation to carve out the youngest state in the country from Andhra Pradesh. After Telangana was formed in 2014, his TRS party formed the government and continues to hold power in its 10th year. After nine years of rule, the CM decided to go national and rechristened his party BRS. He made forays into Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh thereafter. The CM is known as a great believer in vedic rituals, astrology and vasstu shastra. He is known for his trademark oration in Telangana Telugu.

Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, the Congress candidate for the Madhira (SC) constituency in Khammam district, has served as MLA three times and is now seeking his fourth term in the Telangana Assembly election. He holds the position of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the House and is widely recognised as a dedicated party loyalist. Notably, he is among the numerous Congress candidates who have formally committed, through signed bond papers, to uphold the implementation of the six guarantees pledged by the Congress in the event of securing power. He has candidly expressed his aspiration for the chief ministerial role, should the Congress emerge victorious in the elections. The Madhira constituency is situated in the South Telangana region and is classified as a rural seat.

Known for his fiery oratory style, the BJP leader is credited for making the saffron party visible in a state where its influence is minimal. His Praja Sangrama Yatra helped the party connect with people on the ground. This leader from Karimnagar is one of the four BJP MPs in the state. After he was removed from the post of state unit president, there was palpable discontent among workers. His devotion to pro-Hindu sentiments and his hard work earned him praise from the Prime Minister.