Row over Khammam MP ticket reaches Karnataka

Hyderabad: The Congress is planning to repeat its performance in the Parliamentary elections too. The Congress declared candidates from all the MP seats except three -- Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Khammam.

Of the three, Khammam has become a keenly watched constituency with suspense continuing regarding the candidate.

Telangana Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao are considering the seat prestigious.

While Tummala Nageswara Rao's son Yugandhar has come out of the race, Bhatti and Ponguleti are still holding sway on it.

Bhatti is asking the party high command to give the ticket to his wife Nandini or Rayala Nageswara Rao while Ponguleti is asking that it be allocated to his brother Prasad Reddy.

The contention between the two Congress leaders has reached Karnataka and party trouble shooter DK Shivakumar held discussion with both the leaders. He told them that the party would take decision about the candidate from Khammam.

Meanwhile, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's close relative Rama Sahayam Raghuram Reddy filed nomination as a Congress candidate, even when the party has not declared his name.

His followers Niranjan Reddy, Borra Rajasekhar, Nukala Naresh Reddy, Ram Murthy Nayak, and others filed his nomination papers.

There is buzz that through this move, Ponguleti is trying to put a check on Bhatti.

As the Congress high command had not given ticket to his brother Prasad Reddy, Ponguleti had brought his close relative Raghuram Reddy on to the scene, say political observers.