Congress’ image takes a beating over delay in choosing Karimnagar and Khammam Lok Sabha candidates

Congress struggles with candidate selection in Karimnagar and Khammam, risking its chances in upcoming elections.

As the Congress party grapples with the selection of candidates in two Parliament seats where it certainly has an edge – Karimnagar and Khammam, the delay is hurting its chances and may impact its plans to win 12 seats.

In Karimnagar, both the BRS candidate B. Vinod Kumar and BJP candidate Bandi Sanjay are way ahead in campaigning, covering nearly half of the constituency by now while the Congress is yet to finalise its candidate. The two aspirants Praveen Reddy and Velichala Rajender have to start from scratch if one of them is preferred.

A senior Congress leader told The Hindu that this inordinate delay is sending wrong signals to the cadre and the constituency. “There are just two options left and one of them should be picked up immediately. Such delay is not acceptable when the party is in power.”

Out of the seven Assembly constituencies under Karimnagar Parliament, Congress has four MLAs — Husnabad, Choppadandi, Vemulawada and Manakondur while the BRS has three MLAs — Karimnagar, Sircilla and Huzurabad. BJP has no MLA. “It’s pretty easy for the Congress to win the seat given the anti-incumbency against Mr. Bandi Sanjay,” a senior leader said wishing anonymity.

The delay in selection for Khammam — the strongest district for Congress too is baffling. The party won 9 out of 10 Assembly seats and the only BRS MLA from Bhadrachalam too has joined the Congress. The demand for the Khammam seat too is huge as the Congress can easily win it. The decision is caught in political wrangle with Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy pitching for his brother Prasad Reddy while Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka for his wife Nandita. As the two lock horns there are some others who are throwing their hat as well.

Meanwhile, the BJP and BRS are ahead in campaigning though they don’t fancy their chances much when the Congress has a stranglehold over the district. But indecisiveness is certainly hurting the party’s image and there is also a rumour of BJP and BRS candidates working together to defeat the Congress. The third pending seat Hyderabad doesn’t hold much significance as the party doesn’t fancy any chances with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi sitting pretty. The only competition he might face is an aggressive BJP which is playing the religious division card to attract voters.

Such delay is only projecting the differences between the leaders in the party and this might impact its image in other constituencies as well. Mostly, where the Congress has fielded new and defectors from the BRS.