Congress names candidates for 5 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana; 3 defectors in the list

The announcement came after the Congress Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday.

कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री @kharge की अध्यक्षता में आयोजित 'केंद्रीय चुनाव समिति' की बैठक में लोकसभा चुनाव, 2024 के लिए 57 लोकसभा सीटों पर कांग्रेस उम्मीदवारों के नाम की तीसरी लिस्ट जारी की गई। pic.twitter.com/7TMkx4faZ4

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 21, 2024

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In Peddapally

The Congress announced the names after Chief Minister and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief A Revanth Reddy said at the Malkajgiri Constituency level workers and leaders meeting in Hyderabad earlier in the day that the second list would be out before Holi (which is early next week).

In its first list, the party announced candidates for only four seats — Suresh Shetkar for Zaheerabad, Challa Vamsichand Reddy for Mahabubnagar, Poriki Balaram Naik for Mahabubabad, and Kunduru Raghuveer Reddy for Nalgonda.

The party has to announce candidates for the remaining eight seats in Telangana, which may take a few more days.

The Congress finalised the candidature of Gaddam Vamsi Krishna for Peddapally, setting aside the candidature of Venkatesh Netha for the Scheduled Caste (SC)-reserved seat.

The party appeared to have decided to field Vamsi as he happens to lay claim to the legacy of his grandfather G Venkatswamy, who made a name for himself in the constituency.

Vamsi Krishna is Congress legislator Vivek Venkataswamy’s son.

Though Venkatesh Netha joined the Congress in anticipation of the Peddapally seat, Vamsi’s last-minute entry has upset his applecart.

After joining the Congress, Venkatesh said he left the BRS as party chief K Chandrashekar Rao’s authoritarian style of functioning had become unbearable. It remains to be seen how he will be pacified.

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The other seats

For Nagarkurnool, the nomination of TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi, who belongs to the Mala sub-caste of SC, was in line with expectations despite another leader from the district — SA Sampath Kumar throwing his hat into the ring.

Sampath Kumar had claimed that he should be considered because he belonged to the Madiga sub-caste of SC.

But the party chose to go with Ravi, keeping in view that he had won from this Lok Sabha constituency in 1991 and 1998.

In the case of Chevella, the party favoured former BRS MP Gaddam Ranjit Reddy, who joined the Congress recently.

His “wild card” entry had upset the plans of Sunitha Mahender Reddy, who also joined the Congress from the BRS. She is former BRS minister and MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy’s wife.

The party high command shifted her to Malkajgiri, the Lok Sabha seat vacated by Revanth Reddy himself.

Sunitha has been asked to move to Malkajgiri as Ranjit Reddy’s election prospects in Chevella are brighter than Konda Vishwweswara Reddy of the BJP, who is a man with deep pockets.

Revanth Reddy has also assured her of his support in the election. Sunitha, who eyed Chevella, is understood to have reconciled to the new development.

The Congress nominated Danam Nagender, who joined the Congress from the BRS only recently, from Secunderabad.

The party found the right candidate in him after the only aspirant of substance for the ticket — Anil Kumar Yadav, the son PCC working president and former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav — was sent to Rajya Sabha.

Even as the BRS raised Cain, Nagender — a BC leader — returned to the Congress after a long exile in the regional party. The Congress is keen on wresting the seat from Union minister G Kishan Reddy.

Related: Ranjith Reddy, Pasunoori Dayakar, Danam Nagender join Congress

Tough contenders for Congress tickets

For deciding the candidate from Adilabad, the party is treading cautiously as the seat is now held by the BJP, despite the saffron party not fielding its sitting MP Soyam Bapu Rao.

It is not immediately known what he is up to, but given his connections with the Congress and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, he might appear in the grand old party’s camp.

The party is also reportedly considering Adivasi woman leader Atram Suguna, who resigned as a government teacher and joined the Congress recently in the presence of the chief minister.

She is popular among the workers, and her candidature is being supported by Telangana minister Danasari Anasuya, popularly known as Seethakka. She has a Maoist background and has worked among the tribals.

The party is also looking at the candidature of former BRS MLA Ajmera Rekha Naik, who joined the Congress, and Congress leader Naresh Jadhav.

For Bhongir, the contest for a Congress ticket is very severe. Legislator Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy is insisting that the ticket should be given to his wife Lakshmi. Meanwhile, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was assured a ticket by the party leadership, has been campaigning in the constituency for quite some time.

Till Rajagopal Reddy entered the fray, there was no doubt about Kiran Kumar Reddy’s candidature. But now, the party appears unable to immediately decide who it should favour.

There is a similar contest for Khammam between Revenue Minister Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, who is bringing pressure on the party for a ticket to his brother Prasad Reddy, while Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka wants the ticket for his wife Nandini.

His supporters say it would be the least the Congress could do for him after denying him the position of the chief minister.

Also Read: 2 more BRS lawmakers meet Revanth Reddy, may join Cong before LS polls

Deciding on the other seats 

The party is also yet to take a call on who should be the candidates for the Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, and Hyderabad seats.

For Warangal, the party might consider sitting MP Pasunuri Dayakar, who recently joined the Congress from the BRS.

Another Congress leader, Dommata Sambaiah, who is also interested in Warangal, is trying his best to get into the good books of the party high command.

For Nizamabad, the party is already eyeing MLC T Jeevan Reddy, who lost the recent Assembly election, besides asking party vice-president Mahesh Kumar Goud.

For Karimnagar, the Congress might consider A Praveen Reddy, who was promised the ticket when he withdrew from the race in favour of Ponnam Prabhakar for a ticket from the Husnabad Assembly seat.

For the Medak Lok Sabha seat, the party is expected to consider Maynampalli Hanumantha Rao, who lost the recent Assembly election from Malakjgiri.