After dillydallying in the matter of selection of candidates for Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad Parliament seats, the Congress Central Election Commission released the names, more or less on expected lines.
Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy, son of Congress stalwart Ramasahayam Surender Reddy, has been fielded from Khammam seat, which was in huge demand. Karimnagar will see Velichala Rajender Rao taking on BJP’s Bandi Sanjay and BRS party’s Boinapally Vinod Kumar. Mohd. Sameer Waliullah will take on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Waliullah, who is the minority wing chairman of the Hyderabad Congress Committee, was expecting the nomination.
Interestingly, both Mr. Raghuram Reddy and Mr. Rajender Rao have already filed nominations, apparently after the high command indicated them to do so despite holding back their names till Wednesday. Mr. Raghuram Reddy should consider himself lucky as the Khammam seat saw intense competition with Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka lobbying for his wife Nandita, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy pitching for his brother Prasad Reddy and also Agriculture Minister seeking the ticket for his son Yugandhar.
