Renuka may contest from BJP, if Cong denies ticket

Hyderabad: In a surprising development, senior leader of Telangana Congress Renuka Chowdary may contest from Bharatiya Janata Party from Khammam Parliamentary Constituency if she is denied the ticket by the Congress.The former MP is seriously considering contesting on behalf of BJP as she has doubts on getting the ticket of Khammam PC, according to party sources.

There is speculation that Congress may give ticket to Telugu Desam leader Nama Nageswar Rao.

Chowdary was also denied the ticket in 2014 Lok Sabha polls as the Khammam seat was given to Communist Party of India. Though in the next elections this seat may not be left to any People's Front partner, the high command is reluctant to give the ticket to Renuka.

Leaders of the party said that several leaders of Khammam district have been opposing her candidature and this may lead to her defeat. The Congress has won majority of the Assembly segments in this Parliamentary Constituency in the Assembly elections being held in 2018 and the party is confident on winning in the Parliament polls too.

Keeping better chances to win the seat, the high command did not want to spoil them by giving ticket to her and considering the names of others in her place. Nama Nageswar Rao has lost the Khammam Assembly election in the previous elections to Assembly and he has been seeking Congress ticket for the Parliamentary constituency.

As the All India Congress Committee's screening panel would meet on Friday to short list the names for the 17 Parliamentary constituencies of the state, Renuka's political future would be out in two or three days. Party leaders said that the Congress high command is deliberately delaying finalisation of candidates as the political scenario is yet to settle down. The departures and joining in Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samiti are continuing and speculation is rife over shifting of loyalties by several leaders.

Keeping the politically-fluid situation in view, the high command is taking its own time. It does not want to be embarrassed after announcing the candidates and decided to wait for a few more days. As TRS and Congress have taken the elections quite seriously both the parties have been playing a wait-and-watch game in finalising the candidates.

They want to field strong candidates in the constituencies to ensure victory. The name of Mulugu MLA Seethakka's name has emerged for Mahabubabad parliamentary constituency. The AICC is seriously considering her name in the place of former Union minister Balaram Naik and MLC Sitaramulu Naik.

The Congress is expecting TRS MP Jitendar Reddy to join the party and if he joins, he may be given the ticket from Mahabubnagar PC. The party is also considering changing the candidates of Nalgonda PC. It may give the ticket to former MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. With this, the AICC has been delaying finalisation of candidates and in all likelihood it may clear few names on Saturday. The Central Election Committee would meet on Saturday and would examine the recommendations of the Screening Committee.