Telangana: Another election, and Congress witnesses intense lobbying

The competition is quite intense for a few seats among the aspirants.

Hyderabad: Setting aside the party’s One Family One Ticket rule under the Udaipur Declaration, many Congress leaders, including a few Ministers, are engaged in intense lobbying to make sure that their family members get tickets for the ensuing Parliament elections.

The competition is quite intense for a few seats among the aspirants. The State unit had launched the exercise of receiving applications from aspirants on Wednesday and 306 applications were filed for 17 constituencies. Of these, 166 were filed on Saturday – the last day for filing applications.

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Among those who filed applications included Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu’s wife Mallu Nandini, who filed her application staking a claim to the Khammam seat. Similarly, Bhatti Vikramarka’s brother and Government Representative at New Delhi Mallu Ravi has also filed an application for the Nagarkurnool seat.

“Telangana Congress had appealed to Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to contest from Khammam. If they do not contest from the constituency, I appeal to the party leadership to consider my candidature,” Nandini said at Gandhi Bhavan here on Saturday.

Likewise, Chennur MLA G Vivek Venkatswamy’s son G Vamshikrishna filed his application from Peddapalli constituency.

Party sources said Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s brother Ponguleti Prasad Reddy had also filed an application to contest from Khammam.

If this is the scenario in Khammam, there is heavy competition for the Nalgonda and Bhongir seats as well. Former Home Minister K Jana Reddy has expressed his interest to contest the parliament elections. However, his son and Nagarjunasagar MLA K Jaiveer Reddy submitted an application on behalf of his brother K Raghuveer Reddy for the Nalgonda ticket.

Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is learned to be considering referring his brother Mohan Reddy’s son Dr. Surya Pavan Reddy for the Bhongir seat. However, TPCC vice president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy has filed his application for the same seat.

It may be recalled that Telangana Congress had passed a resolution appealing to Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi to contest from Telangana.

There is no clarity from the AICC leadership on the appeal and from which constituency she might contest the elections.