Clamour grows for Congress tickets in Khammam & Bhuvanagiri

Hyderabad: The Congress is yet to announce candidates for 13 out of the 17 Lok Sabha segments in Telangana and according to party insiders choosing candidates for Khammam and Bhuvanagiri is going to be a tough task.

According to the insiders, senior leader and state deputy chief minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and his cabinet colleague, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, are hoping the Khammam seat will be given to their family members.

Khammam is considered a bastion of Congress and along with its ally CPI, the party had swept all the assembly segments here.

While Bhatti Vikramarka wants the seat for his wife Nandini, Srinivas Reddy wants it for his brother Prasad Reddy.

Meanwhile, MLA Komatireddy Rajagopala Reddy wants Bhuvanagiri his wife. Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy who is said to be a loyalist of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is also vying for Bhuvanagiri.

Party sources said CM Reddy has left the choice to pick candidates for these two segments to the party's high command.

Revanth is routing more for Chevella, Malkajgiri and a few other seats besides his recommendations as the PCC chief and chief minister for all the seats. He is batting for Dr Ranjith Reddy from Chevella and Malkajgiri seat to Patnam Suneetha Reddy who also joined Congress from BRS recently.

The Congress is riding on its success from the assembly elections late last year and lots of leaders are clamouring for party tickets.

As many as 306 aspirants have submitted applications seeking party tickets to contest from 17 Lok Sabha seats.