Congress mulls Renuka Chowdary for Khammam seat

Hyderabad: The stalemate over the Congress’s Khammam Lok Sabha candidate continues.

The selection has taken many twists and turns. According to TPCC sources, former MP and Telugu Desam leader Nama Nageswara Rao had shown interest in joining the party if he was given the Khammam ticket.  

TPCC leaders brought this to the notice of the party’s central leadership, which seems to have approved his name for the Khammam seat. But Mr Nageshwara Rao made a sudden U-turn and decided to join the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

He met TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and party president Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and announced that he would not contest on a Congress ticket.  

After this, the Congress leadership finalised the name of V. Ravichandra for Khammam. Mr Ravichandra had contested from Warangal East in the recent Assembly elections, but lost. He belongs to Warangal district and has mining interests in Khammam district.

Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary, however, objected to his candidature. She told the Congress high command that local party workers and leaders will not accept an outsider.

Though names of other Congress candidates were announced on Monday night, the Khammam candidate has not been announced. But the TPCC has received communication that Ms Chowdary will be given the Khammam Lok Sabha ticket. An official announcement was expected by Tuesday evening, but till late at night, no announcement was made.

The TRS, meanwhile, is considering Mr Nagesh-wara Rao for the Khammam Lok Sabha seat. Congress sources said that their party is waiting for the TRS to announce its Khammam candidate before taking a final decision on their candidate.

If the TRS decides to field Mr Nageshwara Rao, the Congress may give the ticket to Ms Chowdary. Both Mr Nageshwara Rao and Ms Choudary belong to the Kamma caste. Chief Minister Rao has announced that he will release the TRS candidates' list on March 21.