Top Congress leaders push for candidacy of women family members

Hyderabad: As the Lok Sabha polls fever grips the State top Congress leaders, with the hope that the party’s footing will help their kin win, including Cabinet ministers, are pushing for candidacy of women family members.

It is believed to be a calculated move by leaders, particularly in the wake of launch of schemes like ‘Mahalakshmi’ in the State and announcement of launch of ‘Gruha Jyothi’, where 200 units of free power to households is being offered. Besides Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Nalgonda leader and MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, former MLA T Jagga Reddy have groomed their women family members to contest. Some of them are likely to face challenges from partymen citing norms like the Udaipur declaration.

On February 3, the last day of filing applications Deputy CM’s wife Mallu Nandini created quite a flutter after she took out a massive rally in a show of strength in Hyderabad. Scores of partymen, including women activists, came all the way from Khammam to express her support. She is aspiring to contest from Khammam, the segment which was already agreed to by the party to offer to Gandhi family. Nandini clarified that in case none from Gandhi family contests she should be given the ticket. She maintained that it was only because of the urge from the Khammam people that she was gearing up for the contest; it was her two decades of attachment which prompted her to take the decision.

KomatireddyRajgopal Reddy’s wife Lakshmi has shown keenness in politics since 2019 and has remained top contender from Bhongir. She also contested for MLC polls in the same year. One of vocal women leaders from the region, Lakshmi has remained supportive of Rajgopal in 2022 when he resigned from the Congress and also vocally backed his stance as a BJP leader.

While former MLA T Jagga Reddy, who has lost the recent Assembly poll, is investing time on cementing the position of daughter Jaya for Medak. She was in limelight in the 2018 Assembly elections, as she campaigned on behalf of her father, who was jailed over allegations of human trafficking and fake passport. She is credited for her father’s win in the Assembly polls then, particularly when the party was struggling to get back its footing in the State.