Mallu Ravi Cong pick for Nagarkurnool?

Hyderabad: Will former Nagarkurnool MP Mallu Ravi be contesting again from the Lok Sabha constituency ? This question created a buzz in political circles on Tuesday, after the senior leader called on AICC general secretary (org) K C Venugopal in Delhi.

Holding the post of ‘Special Representative’ of State government in Delhi, Ravi, while staying in the national capital, has been forcefully lobbying for getting his name cleared. He was among the few top leaders who got key position within days after the government took power. However, he formally made his intention clear about contesting from Nagarkurnool again. To throw emphasis on the issue and bring to notice of both State and Central party leadership on February 23 he also sent a letter of resignation to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy urging him to give the Nagarkurnool ticket.

According to party sources, the Ravi-Venugopal meeting assumes significance as the Telangana screening committee has already cleared names of some ten candidates and forwarded them to AICC. He also met AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of meeting KC Venugopal.

Staying in Delhi has come a privilege for using his good offices for furthering his push. “His meeting top party leaders like K C Venugopal means that the ticket is confirmed for him. This clearly shows that the high command is backing his candidature,” one of his close aides told The Hans India.

The other names which are said to be cleared by the screening committee and sent to AICC include son of Chennur MLA Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy, Gaddam Vamshi Krishna (Peddapalli), former Husnabad MLA A Praveen Reddy (Karimnagar), former MP Suresh Kumar Shetkar (Zaheerabad), senior leader and MLC T Jeevan Reddy (Nizamabad), former Hyderabad Mayor BonthuRammohan (Secunderabad), former RR ZP chairperson and wife of former minister Patnam Mahender Reddy P Sunitha Mahender Reddy (Chevella) and former Union Minister Balram Naik (Mahbubabad).

At the public meeting to be held at Mahbubnagar, the CM is likely to clear the air of anxiety to more candidates, as he did at Chevella meeting recently. During the Chevella meet, Sunitha Mahender Reddy stood next to him, giving enough indications of candidacy. However, at an earlier public meeting at Kodangal, he was more precise and made known about Vamsichand Reddy’s nomination, inviting criticism within the party.