Hyderabad: The Congress party in Telangana is busy finalizing its candidates ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Telangana Congress Committee (TPCC) has come up with a shortlist of candidates, which will now be submitted to the All India Congress Committee screening committee.
The TPCC had proposed two to five candidates for each Lok Sabha constituency.
Among the shortlisted candidates is Congress working president Azharuddin who might be locking horns with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi has decided to not contest for the seat from the Telangana capital city considering that AIMIM is an allied party.
56-year-old Azharuddin, who is a former cricketer, first won in the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh’ Maradabad in 2009. But then lost in 2014 from Rajasthan's Tonk-Sawai Madhopur.
Then in November last year, Azar was appointed as the party’s working president and campaigned for his party’s candidates in the recent Assembly Elections in Telangana.
The list also includes the former union minister Renuka Chowdhury, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and V Hanmanth Rao who have been proposed for the seat from Khammam.
AICC spokesperson Madhu Yashki Goud’s name has been proposed for the Nizamabad and Bhongir seats.
Senior TPCC leaders like Komatreddy Venkat Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar and former minister Anjan Kumar Yadav have been recommended for the seats from Nalgonda, Karimnagar and Secunderabad respectively.
Sitting MPs Nandi Yellaiah and Konda Visweswar Reddy have been asked to contest from their constituencies - Nagar Kurnool and Chevella.
Interestingly, senior leaders like Jaipal Reddy, Revanth Reddy and Damodara Raja Narasimha names decide to not contest this time round after Congress’ disastrous defeat in the assembly elections.
“Leaders who enjoyed the power are not coming forward to stand with the party in this time of crisis. It’s not fair,” rued senior leader DK Aruna.
Aruna also alleged that the same leaders had lobbied for party tickets in the assembly elections last year.
As per party sources, even Madhu Yashki Goud is not willing to contest from Nizamabad despite having been an MP from the constituency for two terms.
Chief Minister K Chandra Shekhar Rao’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavita, an incumbent MP, will be contesting from the Nizamabad seat again.
The names of former minister Sudarshan Reddy and Mahesh Goud were also included in the proposals for Nizamabad.
“We have seen the results of assembly elections. We can fight anywhere but not in Nizamabad. Because she will use her power in all aspects. Why should we take the risk?” a young leader of the party told News 18.
Leaders who lost in the recent assembly elections like Vamsi Chand Reddy, Kuna Srisailam Goud, Soyam Bapurao, Arepally Mohan, Kartik Reddy, Kommuri Pratap Reddy have been asked to contest in their constituencies from where they belong.
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