Khammam Congress overloaded with influx of top BRS leaders seeking poll tickets

 KHAMMAM: The Congress in Khammam is facing a problem of overload as leaders like Ponguleti Srinivas and Thummala Nageshwar who recently joined the party as also their supporters are seeking poll tickets while CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka is already there.

The TPCC and the screening committee are facing a tough time accommodating these worthies as also the senior Congress leaders here. They are keeping the winning prospects of each aspirant in mind while taking a decision in respect of each constituency.

On the other hand, AICC and TPCC pinned hopes on winning more seats this time out of the total ten seats in the erstwhile Khammam district. Srinivas Reddy expressed confidence that they will win all the seats in erstwhile Khammam.

Both Nageshwar Rao and Srinivas Reddy quit the BRS as they were not getting due importance there. However, Congress sources say that they have not given any assurance to the supporters of these two leaders, but will accommodate them wherever possible.

Of the total 10 assembly constituencies, three are general seats, two SC and five ST.

The recently joined leaders have to contest from the general seats -- Khammam, Kothagudem and Paleru  -- where many senior leaders are also aspiring for party tickets. The same is the case with the SC and ST seats.

Speculations are that Ponguleti Srinivas might contest from Paleru and Thummala from Khammam.

There is huge pressure on these leaders from their supporters aspiring to contest the polls.

As a result, senior Congress leaders aspiring for party ticket are disappointed. They are concerned that their chances of getting tickets would be seriously affected due to the push by the recent entrants.

TPCC member Rayala Nageshwar said he applied for the ticket from Paleru but the political equations are changing fast in the assembly constituencies following the induction of leaders from other parties.

BRS leaders are keeping a close watch on the situation and trying to make such Congress leaders join the ruling party.

TPCC general secretary Manavatha Roy is aspiring for the party ticket from Sattupalli but many supporters of Ponguleti and Thummala Nagehwar are also aspiring for the ticket there.

BRS party’s Tellam Venkatrao who joined the Congress along with Srinivas Reddy returned to the BRS since he did not get an assurance of a ticket from Bhadrachalam.

BRS party is making efforts to improve its performance since it has won only one seat in the last two elections in erstwhile Khammam but later some sitting MLAs and top leaders of the opposition parties joined the BRS.

Pidamarthi Ravi, who joined the Congress along with Ponguleti Srinivas said there is heavy competition for the party tickets in all the assembly constituencies since both public and ticket aspirants were of the view that the Congress would grab power in TS this time.

Referring to Tellam Venkat’s case, Ravi asked how a leader who joined the Congress recently could expect a party ticket from Bhadrachalam where sitting Congress MLA Podem Veeraiah should get first preference.