Lok Sabha polls: Congress clears over half a dozen names

Hyderabad : The Congress party has put the process of selecting candidates for the Lok Sabha seats on fast track. It wants to jump into continuous poll campaign soon.

It is learnt that the party has finalized the names of candidates for over half a dozen seats. There are total of 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana. The Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had on Wednesday announce the name of former MLA Ch Vamsi Chand Reddy as the candidate from Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha seat at the public meeting in Kodangal.

Sources said that the AICC high command had given its nod for six more names which includes four of those who had migrated from BRS.

The names which have been finalized are Kancherla Chandrasekhar Reddy (Malkajgiri), Patnam Suneetha Reddy (Chevella), B Venkatesh Neta (Peddapalli) and Bonthu Rammohan (Secunderabad). Apart from this party leadership is said to have cleared names of candidates T Jeevan Reddy (Nizamabad), K Jana Reddy (Nalgonda) and Suresh Kumar Shetakar (Zaheerabad). Those who had quit BRS and joined are Venkatesh Neta, sitting MP from Peddapalli, Sunita Reddy former Zilla Parishad Chairperson from Rangareddy district and wife of former Minister Patnam Mahender Reddy, Chandrasekhar Reddy, father in law of film actor Allu Arjun, Bonthu Rammohan the former Mayor who is Munnuru Kapu and his wife Bonthu Sridevi, Cherlapally Corporator and belongs to Yadav community who has good influence among BC community.

It is learnt that TRS is also contemplating to field more BC candidates.

Though the party leadership is also considering the name of the senior most leader K Jana Reddy for Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat, it remains to be seen whether he would agree or he would like the high command to consider the name of his son. Sources told Hans India that both options were under consideration and depending upon the moves of rival BRS, the party would take a final decision.

Similarly, the candidates in the race for tickets are S A Sampath and Mallu Ravi for Nagarkurnool, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Shivsena Reddy Bhongir, Mynampally Hanumatha Rao and Neelam Madhu for Medak. Candidates for Adilabad and Karimnagar are yet to be shortlisted, sources add.