In a strategic move, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy will take on BRS supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao in Kamareddy constituency in the Assembly election scheduled on November 30.
AICC in charge Manikrao Thakre held a meeting with senior Congress leaders on Saturday in Gandhi Bhavan, where it was decided that Mr. Revanth will file his nomination from Kamareddy. Sources said he was expected to file his papers from Kamareddy on November 8 and on November 6 in Kodangal.
The Congress party’s Central leadership asked the TPCC chief to contest against Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao from Kamareddy. Interestingly, BJP leader and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender is taking on KCR in Gajwel constituency.
Party sources said this is part of the pressure tactics the Congress intends to put on the ruling party to confine the BRS supremo to focus more on Kamareddy. “As the contest becomes prestigious, the BRS top leaders will be forced to focus only on Kamareddy. We will be able to confine them to one particular constituency,” a senior TPCC leader said.
Former Minister and ex-CLP leader Md. Ali Shabbir, who was tipped to get the ticket from Kamareddy will now move to Nizamabad Urban constituency. In fact, Mr. Shabbir had extensively toured the rural parts of Kamareddy constituency till the party chose to review its decision to field Mr. Revanth. Interestingly, the party had kept on hold the candidates name for Kamareddy and the segment did not figure in the two lists announced by the AICC. Now, Mr. Shabbir will file his papers on November 7.
TPCC working president Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud and former DCC chief Taher Bin Hamdaan were the two serious contenders for the ticket. Mr. Manikrao Thakre, according to sources held discussions with Mr. Mahesh Kumar Goud and apprised him of the party decision to bring in Mr. Shabbir.
The TPCC working president had contested the 2014 elections and gave way for Mr. Taher to fight the polls in 2018. It is believed that the party has assured Mr. Mahesh Goud that he would be suitably rewarded once the Congress party forms the government in Telangana.
It may be mentioned here that KCR surprised everyone in August when he announced his decision to contest from Kamareddy along with Gajwel. Senior BRS MLA Gampa Goverdhan made way for KCR to contest from Kamareddy. A look at the lists of various parties shows that KCR, Eatala Rajender and Revanth Reddy are the three leaders to test their luck from multiple constituencies.
