The impasse persists as Congress leaders call for Bhatti and Ponguleti

The race for the vital Khammam ticket in Congress is still ongoing, despite the fact that the nominations for the Lok Sabha elections finish on April 25. Party officials and cadre are on tenterhooks since the party high leadership has not yet announced the nominees, adding to the impasse over the Hyderabad and Karimnagar seats.

Surprisingly, Renuka Chowdhury, who was just appointed a Rajya Sabha MP, entered the Khammam race amidst rumors that the party would suffer given the unjustifiable delay in announcing the candidates for the three crucial seats, which are scheduled for election in only 20 days.

The central leadership on Monday called the two Khammam strongmen, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka, to Bengaluru, where they were seated with party elders, in an attempt to find a solution to the seat puzzle.
While Ponguleti sought the seat for his brother Prasad Reddy, Bhatti was targeting the Khammam LS ticket for his wife Nandini. According to sources, the high leadership instructed them to work for the candidate chosen by them after clearly indicating who would run for office.

The high command has almost decided on the candidate, according to sources, despite pressure from top leaders to get the Khammam ticket for their relatives. A source said that R Raghurami Reddy, the son of former Warangal MP R Surender Reddy, “is likely to be announced as the party candidate.”
Another powerful Khammam politician, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, was also consulted by the leadership. Additionally, Tummala was pleading for a family member’s ticket.
In an interview with reporters, Renuka said that if the party has not selected a candidate, she is willing to run from Khammam. “If I win the Khammam Lok Sabha seat, I will step down, even though I am a member of the Rajya Sabha,” she said.
Party leader Velichala Rajender Rao submitted his candidacy on Monday for the Karimnagar seat, adding to the intrigue even though the high command has not yet revealed the candidate. Ponnam Prabhakar, the transport minister and a Karimnagar representative, was with him when he filed his paperwork.
Before submitting his candidacy, Rajender Rao, the son of former Karimnagar MLA Velichala Jagapathi Rao, staged a sizable gathering in Karimnagar with the help of party employees and supporters. Drama broke out throughout the day when Praveen Reddy’s ticket was confirmed on an AICC Karimnagar candidate list that circulated. Later, top Congress officials declared it to be a hoax.
Party chief Pulipati Rajesh Kumar submitted his candidacy for the Hyderabad seat on Sunday. Rajesh, a Doodh Bowli inhabitant, joined the race in the elections scheduled for November 2023 from the Bahadurpura assembly seat. Rajesh is an advocate and a member of the Padmashali caste.
Despite not being listed as the party’s candidate, he submitted his candidacy for Hyderabad. It is anticipated that late on Tuesday, the high command will declare nominees for the three open seats.