Congress Still Undecided on 3 LS Candidates

Hyderabad: The Congress continues to maintain suspense on candidates for Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad Lok Sabha seats even after the filing of nominations commenced on Thursday. While the opposition BRS and the BJP declared candidates for all the 17 Lok Sabha seats long ago, and the BJP candidates began filing their nomination papers, the Congress high command was still adopting a wait-and-watch policy giving anxious moments to party leaders and cadre in Telangana state.

There is no clarity when the AICC's central election committee (CEC) will meet in Delhi to finalise candidates for these three seats.

'Caste equations' are said to be delaying the selection of candidates for Khammam and Karimnagar. The buzz in party circles is that the high command is of the view that if the ticket is allotted to a Reddy or any candidate from general categories in Khammam, the Karimnagar seat should be allotted to a candidate from Backward Castes and vice versa.

In Khammam, Reddy and Raju candidates are in the race along with Mala. In Karimnagar, Reddy and BC candidates are in the race.

Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy are strongly lobbying for tickets to their family members from Khammam, while minister Ponnam Prabhakar is lobbying for his supporters in Karimnagar.

The party high command is reportedly not taking the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat seriously as part of 'understanding' with the AIMIM. Party sources said that the party high command is expected to declare the candidates for three pending seats on Friday.