The battle for the Khammam Lok Sabha ticket has become a headache for both the Congress and BJP parties. They are struggling to choose the best candidates for this crucial seat, leading to intense competition between the two political giants.
For the Congress party, selecting candidates for Khammam has become a tough task due to multiple contenders. Key figures like relatives of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao are in the running. Industrialist Vankayalapati Rajendra Prasad has also shown interest in representing the party in Khammam.
Senior members like former MP V Hanumantha Rao and leader Jetti Kusuma Kumar are also eyeing this significant seat. Securing the party’s B-form is crucial for victory in Khammam, given its historical allegiance to Congress.
The delay in announcing the candidate is due to the large number of aspirants, with the AICC chief indicating that Khammam’s candidate name will be revealed in the third list of Congress candidates.
On the other hand, the BJP is also seeing a lot of activity as leaders vie for the Khammam Lok Sabha ticket. Despite Congress’s strong presence in the district, BJP leaders are eager to contest, citing their growing influence in the region over the past decade.
Former BRS MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao’s recent entry into BJP has sparked further interest in the seat among party members. Leaders like Kisan Morcha State President Kondapalli Sridhar Reddy, District President Galla Satyanarayana, Dr Gongura Venkateswarlu, and Tandra Vinod Rao are actively seeking the ticket.
A senior BJP leader highlighted the party’s strengthened position in Khammam, attributing it to the Modi government’s policies. The leader emphasized that BJP is becoming a credible alternative to Congress in the region.
In contrast, the BRS party has maintained a low profile regarding the Khammam seat, choosing to retain sitting MP Nama Nageswara Rao for the upcoming elections based on their second-place finish in the previous polls.
