Peddapalli Congress candidate becomes issue between two top leaders

Though the candidates for four parliament segments were announced three days ago, Peddapalli was not there in the list.

Peddapalli: Differences between two senior Congress leaders are reportedly delaying the announcement of the party’s candidate for the Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency.

Though the candidates for four parliament segments were announced three days ago, Peddapalli was not there in the list. According to party sources, differences between IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and Chennur MLA G Vivek were yet to be sorted out, leading to the delay in a final decision on the candidate.

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While Vivek is said to be making efforts to get the ticket for his son Vamshi Krishna, Sridhar Babu was reportedly supporting others. Before the recent assembly election, Vivek along with his brother Vinod joined the Congress party, reportedly after getting an assurance from the party top brass that the Peddapalli parliament ticket would be given to Vamshi Krishna.

However, the political scenario changed after the assembly elections. While former MP Ch Suguna Kumari suddenly appeared in Gandhi Bhavan and submitted an application for the ticket, sitting MP from Peddapalli B Venkatesh Netha quit the BRS and joined the Congress and is also in the fray for the ticket.

The TPCC reportedly sent the name of Vamshi Krishna to Delhi, keeping the assurance given to Vivek in mind. However, Sridhar Babu is learned to have proposed the names of Suguna Kumari, Venkatesh Netha and a few others. According to a senior party leader, party in-charges of seven assembly constituencies in the Peddapalli parliament segment were also supporting the candidature of Suguna Kumari.

On the other hand, there is a demand from the local Madiga community that the ticket should be given to a leader from their community only. Vamshi Krishna hails from the Mala community.

Vivek had faced similar kinds of issues before the 2019 parliament elections. While he was trying to contest from the Peddapalli parliament seat in 2019, BRS (then TRS) leaders from seven assembly segments had refused to support his candidature. The party leadership then fielded Venkatesh Netha.

The Congress high command is likely to announce the second list of its candidates for Lok Sabha polls in a couple of days. Who has the last word on the ticket, whether it will be Vivek or Sridhar Babu, will be known then.