The CPI district council’s insistence on three Assembly seats and one Parliament seat has left the Congress ticket aspirants in a quandary.
The party has staked strong claim for its two sitting Assembly seats -- Kothagudem and Wyra (ST)-- besides its stronghold - Pinapaka (ST)-- and a few other seats during parleys with the Congress for electoral alliance.
Although the CPI State leadership has not yet announced the party contestants from the district for the upcoming general elections, the candidature of sitting MLA Kunamaneni Sambasiva Rao from Kothagudem appears almost certain with the district council already forwarding his name to the State committee.
However, the CPI district leadership denied re-nomination to Banoth Chandravathi, the sitting MLA from Wyra Assembly constituency. But the party district council has made it clear that it will not leave the Kothagudem, Wyra and Pinapaka Assembly segments as part of electoral pact with the Congress if any. The party is also keen on contesting from Khammam Lok Sabha seat.
District Congress Committee president and former Minister Vanama Venkateswara Rao is the strong contender for the Kothagudem seat. The supporters of Mr. Venkateswara Rao are lobbying hard in Delhi to impress upon the party leadership on the need to field the latter, a staunch follower of Rajya Sabha member Renuka Chowdary, from Kothagudem seat, which is considered as political nerve centre in the region.
Interestingly Ms. Renuka Chowdary is aspiring to contest from Khammam Lok Sabha seat which is being sought by the CPI as part of the prospective electoral tie-up. Speculations are rife that the CPI may field veteran party leader Puvvada Nageswara Rao from Khammam Lok Sabha seat.
