Hyderabad: Former Congress MPs want to contest the Assembly elections and have started lobbying for tickets. In the event of joint elections they would have preferred the Lok Sabha polls, but are opting for the state elections as they are being held early. In the list are former Union ministers Renuka Chowdary, S. Jaipal Reddy, Sarve Satyanarayana — who aspire to be chief minister if the party wins the elections — and Balaram Naik. According to state Congress sources, Ms Chowdary wants to contest from Khammam or Serilimgampally, Mr Jaipal Reddy from Mahbubnagar, Mr Satyanarayana from Secunderabad Cantonment and Mr Naik from the Mahbubabad Assembly seat.
Former MP Ponnam Prabhakar is eyeing any constituency from Karimnagar, Mr Mallu Ravi is looking at the Jadcherla seat and party MLC Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, a former MP, wants to contest from Munugodu. Former MP Suresh Shetkar is looking for a ticket from Narayankhed and Mr Rapolu Anand Bhaskar from Palakurthi. TPCC sources said there was no possibility for former MPs getting tickets for the Assembly elections, save one or two. The former MPs will have to concentrate on the Lok Sabha polls which are due in about six months, said a Congress senior leader.
If the strong candidates for the Lok Sabha elections contest for the Assembly, they party will have to search for candidates for the general elections, he said. Some MPs were of the opinion that if they lost the Assembly elections they could join the contest for the Lok Sabha. But Congress leaders said if former MPs lose in the Assembly elections they would not be nominated for the Lok Sabha elections.
