The much-awaited eight names from the Congress party for the Lok Sabha elections is expected to be finalised at the Central Election Committee meeting on March 27 in New Delhi.
An official announcement will be made late that day or on March 28. With the main opposition BRS and the BJP announcing all the 17 candidates, the Congress party is treading a cautious path in finalising the names for the remaining eight constituencies.
The party is yet to name its candidates for Khammam, Bhuvanagiri, Nizamabad, Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Medak, Warangal SC and Adilabad ST seats. It has already announced candidates from nine constituencies including four, who recently joined the Congress party.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy are scheduled to attend the meeting on March 27. Highly placed sources said the selection of the right candidates for Adilabad and Warangal was an issue. Initially, the party toyed with the idea of fielding an Adivasi doctor, Sumalatha. Now, the party is said to be considering a teacher named Atram Suguna for the Adilabad ST seat.
In Warangal, it was believed that sitting BRS MP Pasunuri Dayakar would get the Congress ticket following his defection. However, party sources maintain that Singapuram Indira, who had unsuccessfully contested against Kadiyam Srihari of the BRS from Station Ghanpur constituency, might be favoured. Another leader D. Sambaiah’s name was also under consideration, sources said.
The party has shortlisted Praveen Reddy for the Karimnagar constituency but there are murmurs in the party that the former has not yet interacted with the erstwhile Karimnagar district ministers nor has he started his campaign. On the whole, he is likely to get the go-ahead.
With Mallu Ravi getting the Nagarkurnool ticket, the line is said to be cleared for Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, brother of Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to get the nod for Khammam seat. The sore point is said to be Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha seat, where Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy is firm on a ticket for his wife Lakshmi while TPCC vice-president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy is said have strong backing of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for the same constituency.
The party, after trying to scout for an alternative candidate for Nizamabad seat, is now said to have decided on MLC T. Jeevan Reddy. Medak seat is also in focus with strong competition between Neelam Madhu and TPCC working president Turpu Jayaprakash Reddy aka Manjula, wife of senior Congress leader Jayaprakash Reddy.
