Khammam: Renuka Chowdhury set for sixth term in Parliament

Khammam : In a significant move, the Congress party had nominated former Khammam MP and Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury for the Rajya Sabha a few days ago. In this regard, accompanied by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, AICC Telangana in-charge Deepadas Munshi, and Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and Sridhar Babu, Renuka submitted her nomination papers to the Assembly Returning Officer in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Having entered politics with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1984, Renuka Chowdhury initially won as a corporator in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation under the party’s banner. She has a notable history of nominations to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and 1988. Later, she switched allegiance to the Congress party and served two terms as an MP (1999-2004, 2004-2009) before being nominated again for the Rajya Sabha in 2012. This nomination marks Renuka’s sixth stint at the Parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress party’s decision to nominate Renuka to the Rajya Sabha has strategically avoided the intense competition for the Khammam Lok Sabha ticket. With several seniors vying for the seat, the party aims to secure victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, building on its successful performance in the recent Assembly selection.

Renuka, a formidable contender among leaders, confirmed her intention to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls for the Khammam seat during her visit to the region. This announcement follows the heightened interest in the Khammam MP seat viz. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramaka’s wife Nandini, Ponguleti Prasad Reddy’s kin, and noted businessman V Rajendra Prasad (Raja), Chairman of VVC Groups, among others.

After the party’s official announcement of Renuka’s candidacy for Rajya Sabha, leaders intensified their efforts for the remaining posts.