After the recent assembly elections in Telangan, Khammam has emerged as the bastion of Congress party, which won nine out of 10 assembly seats in the erstwhile combined district.
Even the 10th MLA – Tellam Venkat Rao from Bharat Rashtra Samithi representing Kothagudem seat, also joined the Congress. So, it has 10 out of 10 MLAs in the district.
Naturally, winning the Khammam Lok Sabha seat is a cakewalk for the Congress, but it has posed a big problem for the party to select the right candidate.
Though only three days are left for the closure of nominations, the party has not been able to select the right candidate due to heavy competition.
The competition is mainly between two ministers representing Khammam district – information minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who are lobbying for the party ticket for their kin.
While Srinivas Reddy wants the ticket for his brother Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, Vikramarka is lobbying for his wife Mallu Nandini. Both are hot contenders and the high command landed in a tight spot in selecting either of them.
Unable to decide the issue, the Congress high command has referred the matter to its troubleshooter D K Shivakumar, Karnataka PCC president and deputy chief minister.
He called both Bhatti Vikramarka and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to Bengaluru to discuss the issue. A decision is expected to be taken by Tuesday.
According to reports from Bengaluru, the party might choose a third candidate -- R Raghurami Reddy, son of former MP R Surender Reddy for Khammam seat.
Other names like former minister Mandava Venkateshwar Rao and state warehousing corporation chairman Rayala Nageshwara Rao were also considered by the party leadership, sources said.
