Will Congress spring a surprise in Khairthabad by-election?

The Congress is weighing possible candidates for the Khairatabad by-election, with party leaders discussing former corporator P Vijaya Reddy and DCC president Rohin Reddy alongside disqualified MLA Danam Nagender. The party high command is expected to take the final decision

Hyderabad: Will the Congress high command spring a surprise while finalising its candidate for the ensuing Khairatabad by-election? This question is doing the rounds in Gandhi Bhavan.

Even as disqualified MLA Danam Nagender has expressed confidence about contesting the by-election, a section of Congress leaders feels that the party leadership may explore other options. The names of former corporator P Vijaya Reddy and Khairatabad DCC president Rohin Reddy are among those being considered, according to party leaders.

---

There are reasons for exploring other options, party leaders said. The Congress has faced setbacks at both the national and State levels following Danam Nagender’s defection from the BRS to the Congress and his subsequent disqualification. The high command could take this into consideration while finalising the candidate, a senior leader from Gandhi Bhavan said.

Some leaders also feel that former corporator P Vijaya Reddy could be an option. They point to her political legacy as the daughter of late P Janardhan Reddy, former Congress Legislature Party leader.

“We have to keep the 2028 elections in mind. Internal surveys have also indicated that she could be an appropriate candidate,” Congress leader Numan Mohammed said in an interview.

He said the high command had been giving priority to women while selecting candidates for elections. There was no rule that Danam Nagender should be given another opportunity, he said, adding that his past record of switching loyalties also needed to be considered.

Apart from Vijaya Reddy, Rohin Reddy is another probable candidate being discussed in Congress circles. This is mainly because of his close association with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. Rohin Reddy has also accompanied the Chief Minister to several major events, including overseas engagements, a party leader said.

“The Chief Minister would want to leave his mark on the party’s choice,” the leader said. Compared with Danam Nagender, Rohin Reddy is much younger, which could also help the party promote young leadership, another leader observed.

Amid these discussions, the high command will have to take the final call. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud has repeatedly maintained that the high command would decide the candidate.

The Supreme Court on September 24 upheld the Telangana High Court’s decision disqualifying Danam Nagender as MLA, paving the way for the Khairatabad by-election. The Assembly subsequently issued a notification recording the seat as vacant with effect from April 23, 2024.