It’s all in families again: Congress leaders scramble to field their kin in Lok Sabha fray in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Former Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav’s son Anil Kumar Yadav was chosen for the Congress ticket for Rajya Sabha and he was elected. The long-term dream of Anjan Kumar was fulfilled.

Now, it’s the turn of the leaders to join the race to have their kin fielded from different Lok Sabha constituencies.

Khammam Lok Sabha seat, a hotbed

The hot bed of internal politics within the Congress is, for sure, Khammam district. Three senior leaders are vying with one another to field their kin from the seat. Now that Renuka Chowdary was sent to Rajya Sabha, one strong contender got eliminated from the race.

This led to a mad race between Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao.

Nandini, wife of Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, has already thrown her hat into the rink by organizing a massive car rally from Khammam to Gandhi Bhavan for filing her application seeking an MP ticket.

She had already been vocal about her intention to contest from Khammam, only if Sonia Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi were not considering to contest. Sonia Gandhi was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Priyanka may not opt for a contest from Telangana. This leaves space for Nandini to nurse her ambitions. She was assertive when she had said that the Congress high command had taken a disappointing decision by not endowing her husband with the chief ministership of Telangana.

Meanwhile, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy is meticulously moving his pawns to get his brother Prasada Reddy fielded from Khamma Lok Sabha seat. Prasad Reddy has been nursing the cadres and holding frequent meetings portraying himself as the official nominee of the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls.

Not lagging behind in the race is Thummala Nageswhara Rao who is seeking to make his son Yugandhar contest from the seat. Thummala, who has been playing a pivotal role in the district politics for four decades, is sparing no efforts to get the party high command’s endorsement to his son. Thummala’s clout in the constituency is all too well known. Also, he recently was elected to the Khammam Assembly seat defeating BRS contestant Puvvada Ajay Kumar.

An industrialist Rajendra Prasad is also a hot favourite for the Congress ticket. However, caste equations are likely to play a major role in the candidate selection.

Jana Reddy’s son, Komatireddy’s daughter in race for Nalgonda

Family members of many Congress leaders are engaged in a cut-throat competition for the Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat. Former Home Minister Kunduru Jana Reddy’s son Raghuveer Reddy had applied for the party ticket. From this seat, Another son of Jana Reddy, Jaiveer Reddy, was elected to the Assembly from Nagarjunasagar constituency.

R&B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is trying to get his daughter Srinidhi Reddy or brother’s son Chandra Pawan Reddy contest the Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat. Former minister R Damodar Reddy’s son Sarvotham Reddy also applied for the party ticket from Nalgonda.

Interestingly, the Congress party gave a written assurance to a frontrunner in the Assembly elections from Suryapet, Patel Ramesh Reddy that he would be given a chance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

From Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha seat, which was held till recently by Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, is being eyed by his brother and Munugode MLA Rajgopal Reddy for his wife Lakshmi.

Former mayor Bonthu Rammohan trying for Secunderabad

When it comes to Secunderabad, since Anil Kumar Yadav was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the Congress is said to be working out new options to choose a right candidate from the seat which is currently being represented by Union Tourism Minister and State BJP unit president G Kishan Reddy.

Former Mayor of the GHMC Bonthu Rammohan, who recently joined the Congress, is angling for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat. Another contender is Vidya Sravanthi, who has set up many educational institutions, is also in the race.

Mynampalli, Jagga Reddy’s kin for Medak

Former Medak MLA Mynampalli Hanumanth Rao, who recently lost his election from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat, is competing with Neelam Madhu Mudiraj, who was denied Assembly ticket. Hanumanth Rao’s son Rohit is already an MLA from Medak Assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, former Sangareddy MLA Turpu Jayaprakash Reddy, who is also the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), is promoiting his wife Nirmala or daughter Jaya Reddy for the Medak Lok Sabha ticket from the party.

Former minister Patnam Mahender reddy’s wife Sunitha Reddy, ZP Chairman of Vikarabad, who had joined the Congress from the BRS recently, is aspiring to contest from Chevella Lok Sabha seat. Former Union Minister Porika Balaram Naik and Vijaya Bai, who tried in vain to secure Wyra Assembly ticket, are vying with each other for the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat.

Mallu Ravi in Nagarkurnool competition

Vamsi Chand Reddy, an active leader in the party, is almost certain to contest from Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat with the “blessings” of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Dr Mallu Ravi, brother of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, is engaged in a stiff competition from former MLA Sampath Kumar for the Nagarkurnool (SC) Lok Sabha seat. In fact, Dr Ravi told NewsTAP that he was enjoying the blessings of the party high command and once the ticket was confirmed, he was sure to win the seat.

Congress MLC and senior leader T Jeevan Reddy’s name is under consideration to contest either against BJP MP Bandi Sanjay in Karimnagar or another BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri in Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat.

G Vivek’s son angling for Peddapalli

Peddapalli MLA Vivek Gaddam is pitching for his son Vamsikrishna for Peddapalli Lok Sabha seat. However, he may face opposition from sitting Peddapalli MP Venkatesh Netha who had crossed over from the BRS to the Congress recently.

As many as 15 aspirants have applied for the MP ticket from the Warangal Lok Sabha SC reserved seat. Former MP Sircilla Rajaiah who was recently made the chairman of State Finance Commission, former SC corporation chairman Pidamarthi Ravi, former Union Minister Surve Satyanarayana, former Minister Motkupalli Narasimhulu were among the prominent contenders for the seat.

With family members of one leader or other entering the race for the party ticket, it will surely knotty for TPCC president and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to sort out the issues and zero in on the right candidates.