Karimnagar: Fake letters of Congress ticket triggers confusion among party workers

On the other hand, Rajender Rao, who is confident of getting the ticket, decided to file his nomination on behalf of the Congress party on Monday.

Karimnagar: Even as the Congress continues to dilly-dally with its announcement of a candidate for the Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency, miscreants are exploiting the uncertainty among party workers by circulated fake letters announcing party candidates in local WhatsApp groups.

Two different fake letters along with the signature of AICC general secretary KC Venugopal are in circulation now. While one letter claims that the Congress party has allocated the Karimnagar parliament ticket to former MLA Aligireddy Praveen Reddy, another one says Velichala Rajender Rao has been given the Karimnagar Lok Sabha ticket.

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Tension among a section of Congress leaders began on Saturday evening when the first letter appeared in WhatsApp groups stating that the ticket was allocated to Praveen Reddy.

Local leaders immediately tried to clarify their doubts by contacting the TPCC as well as AICC leaders in Delhi. Interestingly, Praveen Reddy said he did not have any information about the allocation of the ticket. When contacted by the media, he said he had not received any information from the party.

A little later, another letter with the same format started being circulated.

The second letter claimed that Rajender Rao was given the ticket. As there was no official communication from the party high command and with ticket aspirants also not receiving any official communication, it was assumed that both were fake letters.

On the other hand, Rajender Rao, who is confident of getting the ticket, decided to file his nomination on behalf of the Congress party on Monday.

He is preparing arrangements to take out a huge rally from Circus grounds to the Collectorate office by mobilising party cadre from the seven assembly segments falling under Karimnagar parliament constituency. Both Praveen Reddy and Rajender Rao are making serious efforts for the Karimnagar MP ticket.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who contested from the Karimnagar parliament segment in 2019, had contested from the Husnabad assembly seat in 2023, reportedly after promising local candidate Praveen Reddy support for his candidature for the Karimnagar parliament segment.

As part of the reported pre-poll agreement, Praveen Reddy had applied for the Karimnagar parliament seat as well. The name of Rajender Rao, who was not in the picture before the Assembly polls, came to the fore all of a sudden. Prabhakar is also supporting Rajender Rao, party sources said.