Telangana conundrum: ‘Winnability versus loyalty’ dilemma for Congress

Hyderabad: The corridors of the Telangana Congress office are abuzz with dissenting voices over the selection of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, even though Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been asserting his leadership after assuming power late last year.

The two-pronged contention is about offering Lok Sabha tickets to members who have joined the party recently or handing over tickets to loyalists, who have been with the party for long.

Apart from these, the party is also facing dissent over issuing multiple tickets to one family.

The Revanth camp has been arguing that the winnability of candidates should be the only criterion for allotting tickets, while the other section has been harping on the need to reward members for their loyalty.

“The people of Telangana have defeated the BRS and voted for the Congress for change of power. But fielding Danam Nagender, Sunita Reddy and Ranjit Reddy as Congress candidates is against the expectations of the people and an insult to the Congress cadre, who will be demoralised. We also have to consider what message it gives to the people and cadre,” said TPCC senior vice-president G Niranjan in a letter to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Ranjit, Danam and Sunita recently crossed over to the Congress from the BRS and have been given tickets to contest from Chevella, Secunderabad and Malkajgiri, respectively. It is understood that to strengthen the party in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation region, where Congress’ performance was dismal in the Assembly polls, Revanth Reddy had unleashed ‘Operation Akarsh’ and inducted these BRS leaders. At his behest, the three were given tickets by the central leadership.

“We request your good self to reconsider the decision and field committed and loyal Congressmen, who stood by the party during good and bad days, in all the 17 LS segments,” added Niranjan in the letter.

Former RS member and party senior leader, V Hanumantha Rao, also echoed these sentiments. A few other members, too, felt this way, but have not openly aired their views.

It will now be a tightrope walk for the Congress high command in choosing the candidates for the remaining seats. The Congress has announced candidates for nine Lok Sabha segments and is yet to name for the remaining eight seats.

All eyes are now on who will be named for the Warangal seat, as there is speculation that the sitting MP, Pasunuri Dayakar, who had recently joined the Congress from BRS, may get the ticket. It is also going to be a tough call for the high command to pick candidates for Khammam and Bhuvanagiri seats.

According to party insiders, senior leader and deputy chief minister, Mallu Batti Vikramarka, and his cabinet colleague, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, are locking horns over the Khammam seat.

Khammam is a Congress bastion and, along with its ally, the CPI, it swept all Assembly segments under the LS constituency.

While Bhatti Vikramarka is lobbying for his wife, Nandini, Srinivas Reddy wants the seat for his brother.