Even as the Telangana Congress leadership is strongly lobbying for party’s parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi to contest from Khammam Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming parliament elections, there has been an intense competition among the senior party leaders for the seat.
According to reports, if Sonia doesn’t evince interest in contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Khamma, at least half a dozen leaders are aspiring for the same, creating confusion among the party cadre.
Recently the TPCC passed a unanimous resolution asking Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Telangana. The party leaders picked up Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar seats to field her to be on the safer side.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka even asked the political parties not to field their candidates against Sonia Gandhi wherever she contests in the State. Many leaders insisted on Khammam seat to field her as the party won Khammam, Palair, Madhira (SC), Wyra (ST), Sathupalle (SC) and Aswaraopet(ST) Assembly seats while Kothagudem was won by Congress ally CPI.
Even before Sonia Gandhi has taken any decision to contest, the Congress leaders are vying to get the ticket to contest for Khammam Lok Sabha.
According to the party sources, former MP Renuka Chowdary, minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s brother P Prasad Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife Mallu Nandini, minister Tummala Nageswara Rao’s son Dr. T Yugandhar and senior leader V Hanumanth Rao are seeking the ticket.
In addition to the above, the party leaders Rayala Nageswara Rao and Mohammed Javed, who could not get the party ticket to contest for Palair and Khammam seats in Assembly polls, want the party to do justice to them.
Interestingly, Nandini and Renuka Chowdhary are the most vocal in their assertion for the ticket. Bhatti Vikramarka’s followers have been projecting Nandini as the potential candidate for Khammam seat soon after the Congress government came to power. The same is the case with Renuka.
Prasad Reddy and Yugandhar never made any open claim for Khammam seat. But their followers are busy on social media seeking the ticket for them. Hanumanth Rao, who once was a bit vocal in claiming ticket to contest for the Lok Sabha seat is now silent.
Speaking to the media here on Thursday, Renuka Chowdary asserted that only she has the right to seek Khammam MP ticket.
“It would be a welcome development if Sonia Gandhi wants to contest in Khammam, but if she doesn’t, there is no other leader who can match up to my eligibility for the Khammam LS seat,” she said.
