The Congress party in Khammam, Telangana is yet to announce its candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This has caused a dilemma as there are multiple contenders for the ticket, including family members of ministers and other prominent figures. Two new names have recently been added to the list of contenders.
One of the new contenders is Rayala Nageswara Rao, a community leader, and the chairman of the State Ware Housing Corporation. The other is Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy (RRR), a well-known personality in the Congress family and a relative of Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Supporters of Raghuram Reddy even submitted nomination documents on his behalf.
There are strong contenders like Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife Nandini, Ponguleti’s brother Prasad Reddy, and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao’s son Yugandhar. The party leadership is facing pressure to choose a local candidate, with some opposition to giving tickets to family members of current candidates.
The issue has escalated to Bengaluru, where Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy met with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. They also held separate meetings with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, who will make the final decision on the matter.
The delay in announcing the candidate has caused confusion among party members and affected the party’s election preparations, while other parties like BJP and BRS are already ahead in their campaigning efforts.
