Velichala files nomination as Congress candidate from Karimnagar sans official announcement

Hyderabad: Congress announced candidates for 14 constituencies for Lok Sabha elections in Telangana barring three segments (Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad), which were kept on hold.

On Monday, springing a surprise, Velichala Rajender Rao filed nomination papers as the Congress candidate for Karimnagar. However, it is important to consider that there was no announcement to this effect. Neither the Congress high command nor the state unit have officially released the contestant’s name yet.

Party leaders present at Velichala’s nomination

Velichala Rajender is a businessman and son of former MLA Jagapathi Rao. For filing his nomination, Velichala was accompanied by minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Congress key leaders from seven constituencies under the Karimnagar Lok Sabha segment including Sircilla DCC president and Vemulawada MLA Adi Srinivas, Karimnagar DCC president and Manakondur MLA Kavampalli Satyanarayana, Choppadandi MLA Medipally Satyam, Huzurabad Congress in-charge Vodithala Pranav, Sircilla constituency in-charge KK Mahender Reddy, former MLAs Koduri Satyanarayana, Arepally Mohan and Karimnagar Congress in-charge Purimalla Srinivas among others.

This indicated that Velichala was given unofficial orders from higher-ups in the party to go ahead and file his nomination for Karimnagar. A mega procession was held from the circus ground to Karimnagar Collectorate in which scores of party functionaries also took part.

Velichala had the backing of the district minister and MLAs

Apart from Velichala, ex-MLA from Husnabad, Praveen Reddy was also in contention for the Karimnagar seat. Congress sources informed that Velichala Rajender had the backing of the district minister and MLAs as he supported them in the recent Assembly elections ensuring their win.

Praveen Reddy, it is learnt, was not keen on contesting but threw his hat in the ring later. As there was no consensus, the party leadership put on hold finalizing the candidate until Monday.

Suspense continues on Khammam and Hyderabad segments

The filing of nominations started in Telangana on April 18 and is set to close on April 25, which means only three days are left for Congress to zero in on the candidates for Khammam and Hyderabad.

There is a three-way race in Khammam with family members of the three ministers from the district vying for the lone Parliamentary seat. The party leadership was put in a catch-22 situation as giving a ticket to one minister’s kin would have led to dissent among the other two ministers. Party sources say that the high command might choose a different candidate altogether.