Senior Congress leaders lobby hard for tickets to kin
N Uttam Kumar Reddy and his wife N Padamavati; Damodar Raja Narasimha and his daughter Trisha; Youth Cong leader Anil Kumar Yadav; Seethakka and her son Suryam
Hyderabad: The lobbying for party tickets in Congress gained greater momentum on Thursday with the Centre throwing hints that it was in mood for one nation, one election and would introduce the bill during the brief special session of Parliament in September and Congress political affairs committee meeting to be held on September 4.
At least a dozen senior Congress leaders are lobbying with the party high command for tickets to their family members. With new admissions of leaders from other parties increasing, the leaders are said to have told the high command that if tickets were given to their family members, they were ready to bear the entire expenditure and give some funds for the party.
Party sources say that Nalgonda MP and former TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy was trying hard for a ticket for his wife N Padamavati to contest from the Kodad Assembly constituency from where she lost to BRS in the 2018 election. Uttam Kumar wants the ticket for himself from Huzurnagar. On the other hand, close aides of TPCC president A Revanth Reddy are said to be lobbying for the Kodad seat. Senior leader and former Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav is seeking a ticket for his son, a Youth Congress leader Anil Kumar Yadav from Secunderabad or Musheerabad assembly segments.
Mulugu MLA Sitakka’s son Suryam is expecting a party ticket from the Pinapaka assembly segment. Even Revanth Reddy is said to be supporting Suryam.
Another leader Damodar Raja Narasimha’s daughter Trisha is vying to contest from the Medak Assembly segment. It is said that Raja Narasimha who is a front runner from Andole segment said that he was ready to withdraw if high command agrees to give ticket to Trisha. Senior Congress leader K Jana Reddy’s sons - Raghuveer Reddy and Jaiveer Reddy - have sought tickets from Nagarjuna Sagar and Miryalagudar respectively. Jana Reddy being a senior most leader and former PCC president, is pulling all possible strings. Former Minister Konda Surekha is another leader who wants a ticket for Warangal (East) for her and Parkala seat for her husband Konda Murali. Similarly, tribal leader and former union minister Balaram Naik wants tickets for his family members from the two reserved assembly seats in old Warangal district.