HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leaders and ministers entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the ruling party’s preparations for the Jubilee Hills byelection have reportedly submitted a shortlist of three probable candidates to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The names proposed by the senior leaders are Naveen Yadav, Bonthu Rammohan Goud and CN Reddy.
It may be mentioned here that the grand old party has entrusted this responsibility to ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Vivek Venkataswamy and Thummala Nageswara Rao.
According to sources, the Congress also commissioned surveys to assess the winnability of various aspirants before taking a final call.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Kanjarla Vijaya Lakshmi is also lobbying with the top leaders in Delhi, seeking their nod to contest in the bypoll.
It is also learnt that former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin too is eying the ticket.
Speaking to TNIE on condition of anonymity, a senior Congress leader said the names forwarded were recommended by ministers. It is not the final shortlist, he added.
The high command, he said, would take a decision after evaluating multiple sociopolitical factors.
Later in the day, a preparatory meeting for the Jubilee Hills byelection was held at Praja Bhavan under the chairmanship of TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud.
AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan also attended the meeting and offered strategic guidance to party leaders. She instructed the leaders to focus on strategies aimed at ensuring party’s victory in the constituency.
AICC secretary Vishwanathan, minister Thummala Nageswara Rao, several corporation chairpersons and local corporators also attended the meeting.