Bhatti Vikramarka and Ponguleti Srinivas fly to Bengaluru to meet Kharge

Apart from Khammam, the Congress party is yet to announce candidates for Karimnagar and Hyderabad constituencies.

Hyderabad: With just three days left for filing nominations, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy flew to Bengaluru to meet AICC Chief Mallikarjun Kharge and finalise the candidate for Khammam constituency.

Apart from Khammam, the Congress party is yet to announce candidates for Karimnagar and Hyderabad constituencies.

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For the Khammam constituency, there is stiff competition among three probable candidates. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife Nandini, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s brother Prasad Reddy and former MP R Surender Reddy’s son R Raghurami Reddy.

Though on the face of it, the Congress leaders are exuding confidence to put up a united fight from the Khammam constituency, followers of the leaders are in two minds. Amidst this uncertainty, senior Congress leaders in the State are worried about the party prospects especially with opposition parties gaining ground.

With the stalemate in Congress leaders continuing over the Khammam candidate, the meeting with the AICC Chief in Bengaluru today holds a lot of significance. The outcome of the meeting would decide the candidate from the constituency, besides it may also trigger dissent among different sections of cadres.

Based on the Khammam candidate declaration, the AICC would also take a call on the Karimnagar and Hyderabad candidates. All these issues were expected to be discussed in New Delhi today. However, it is still unclear whether the Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister will fly to New Delhi to attend the meeting or fly back to Hyderabad after their meeting with the AICC Chief in Bengaluru.

Ready to contest from Khammam: Renuka Chowdary

Throwing her hat in the ring, Rajya Sabha member Renuka Chowdary said if the Congress high command insists, she was prepared to contest from Khammam Lok Sabha constituency.

“Though I am a Rajya Sabha member, I am prepared to contest Lok Sabha elections, if directed by the party leadership.

If one is good at ruling Khammam, one can gain experience to rule the nation,” Renuka Chowdary said at a press conference here on Monday.