Cong yet to field name for bastion Khammam

With just three days left for the closure of nominations for the general elections in Telangana, the Congress party is yet to finalise its candidate for Khammam parliamentary constituency, considered to be a bastion of the grand old party

With just three days left for the closure of nominations for the general elections in Telangana, the Congress party is yet to finalise its candidate for Khammam parliamentary constituency, considered to be a bastion of the grand old party.

The Congress had won nine out of 10 seats in the combined Khammam district in the last assembly elections. (HT Archive)

While the Congress is facing a piquant situation in the candidate selection, its two rival parties Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already announced their candidates who even started their election campaign couple of week back. While BRS has fielded sitting MP Nama Nageshwara Rao, BJP has placed its bet on its senior leader Tandra Vinod Rao.

The Congress had won nine out of 10 assembly seats in the combined Khammam district and even the lone BRS MLA – Tellam Venkat Rao from Bhadradri Kothagudem, also joined the Congress last week.

Since the Congress has fair chances of winning the Khammam Lok Sabha seat, there has been an intense competition for the party ticket, people aware of the matter said. Two senior ministers representing Khammam district – information minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka – are lobbying for the party tickets for the members of their family.

While Srinivas Reddy wants the ticket for his brother Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, Vikramarka is lobbying for his wife Mallu Nandini. Both the leaders have put forth the credentials of their kin before the party high command, pushing it in a tight spot.

There are other senior leaders like former MP V Hanumantha Rao who have been eyeing for the ticket from the seat. “It is not fair to give the party ticket to the family members of the elected leaders. Srinivas Reddy is already a minister and Bhatti’s brother Mallu Ravi has also been given the party ticket for Nagarkurnool parliamentary seat. How can the two families demand for more?” Hanumantha Rao said.

The names of other Congress leaders like R Raghurami Reddy, son of former MP R Surender Reddy; former minister Mandava Venkateshwar Rao and state warehousing corporation chairman Rayala Nageshwara Rao are also in the reckoning. The matter has been referred to All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

However, a Congress leader familiar with the matter said the high command on Monday entrusted the responsibility of resolving the Khammam imbroglio to Karnataka PCC president and deputy CM DK Shivakumar, known to be a trouble-shooter for the party.

“In the afternoon, both Vikramarka and Srinivas Reddy left for Bengaluru to hold talks with Kharge and also Shivakumar. A decision is expected to be taken by Tuesday,” the party leader quoted above said.