HYDERABAD: They may have succeeded in securing the Congress tickets for their family members and supporters to contest in the upcoming Assembly elections. But the grand old party’s senior leaders are now faced with an extra burden — an unenviable task of ensuring the victory of their kin and loyalists.
These leaders believe that their own victory as well as that of their supporters will not only enhance their reputation but also their stature in the party. Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy has his hands full with regard to campaigning for the November 30 election.
While the former PCC chief is contesting from the Huzurnagar segment, his wife Padmavathi Reddy entered the fray in the Kodad constituency. The husband-wife duo is now fully occupied in electioneering, campaigning aggressively in the two segments.
Former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy too is busy with campaigning in different segments. Ponguleti, who joined the Congress from the BRS ahead of the elections, is contesting from Palair but he is also concentrating on Sattupalli, Aswaraopet, Illandu and other segments where his followers, who also changed their loyalties to the grand old party, are contesting. He is hoping to prove his strength in the erstwhile Khammam district by ensuring that the Congress wins as many seats as possible.
Former deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarsimha, who is contesting from Andole, has succeeded in getting Congress tickets for his supporters in Patancheru and Narayankhed. Now, he is working hard to win these segments for his party.
Mynampally Hanumantha Rao, who along with his son Rohit joined the Congress from the BRS, is touring both Malkajgiri and Medak segments. While he is contesting from Malkajgiri, Mynampally also wants to see his son become an MLA from Medak. It may be mentioned here that he threw a challenge to Minister T Harish Rao that he would ensure the BRS candidate’s defeat in Medak.
Former minister and MLC T Jeevan Reddy, who is contesting from Jagtial, is also campaigning aggressively in Choppadandi and Dharmapuri as his close aides are in the fray in these segments. The Komatireddy brothers, Bhongir MP Venkat Reddy and former MLA Rajagopal Reddy, are campaigning in their respective segments of Nalgonda and Munugode as well as Nakrekal, Thungathurthy and Aleru because the Congress contestants in those constituencies are very close to them.