KARIMNAGAR, MARCH 28, 2024: The delay in the finalisation of Congress candidate from the Karimnagar parliament constituency has exposed the internal divisions in the Telangana Congress party.
Senior Congress leader and former Husnabad legislator Algireddy Praveen Reddy, who aspired for the Congress party ticket in 2023 elections from Husnabad assembly segment, was denied the same promising the party ticket from the Karimnagar parliament constituency.
However, in the ensuing parliament elections also, Mr Praveen Reddy is being pushed out by not fulfilling the promise of allocating the Congress party ticket to contest from the Karimnagar parliament constituency. Mr Praveen Reddy, a disciplined and popular party leader, is also the chairman of Mulkanoor cooperative credit and marketing society limited and playing a crucial role for the strengthening of cooperative spirit in the region.
Mr Praveen Reddy had contested from the Husnabad assembly segment in 2009 and won. After the formation of Telangana state, Mr Reddy lost to TRS (now BRS) candidate V Satish Babu in 2014 and 2018 elections. Later, he joined the BRS. However, unable to bear the isolation in the party, he rejoined the Congress party in June 2022 along with TPCC president A Revanth Reddy with a hope to secure the party ticket in 2023 elections and campaigned rigorously during the period.
However, in an unusual manner, former Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar had chosen the Husnabad constituency to contest the elections and won from the segment and became Minister for Transport and BC welfare. Prabhakar using his lobby in New Delhi secured the party ticket to contest from Husnabad. During the period, Praveen Reddy was promised to allocate the Karimnagar parliament constituency ticket. But now during the allocation of party ticket, he was being denied the same causing unrest among his supporters and shattering his political dreams.
Mr Praveen Reddy was also banking on ‘Reddy’ community card as so far no Reddy candidate had won from the Karimnagar parliament constituency except for Baddam Yella Reddy in 1952 elections. His supporters were of the view that Mr Praveen Reddy would emerge victorious by using his community card in the elections and close contacts with farmers through cooperatives.
