Telangana: Congress Nominates Challa Vamsi Chand Reddy From Mahabubnagar (image-X/VamsiChandReddy)

Congress has nominated Challa Vamsi Chand Reddy from Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Telangana’s Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha constituency has been a stronghold of Congress since its inception in 1957. However, in recent years, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, or BRS (former Telangana Rashtra Samithi, or TRS), has maintained its influence, since 2009.

Mr. Reddy accused the BRS government of being indifferent towards Mahabubnagar, also known as Palamuru, since its ten-year rule. He promised to address issues of unemployment amongst the youth, improve healthcare facilities, provide water for irrigation, and provide remunerative prices for farmers. In February, Mr. Reddy launched a 25-day Palamuru Nyay Yatra to highlight the importance of corrective measures to address the alleged neglect by the BRS government of the people of Palamuru.

Coming from a middle-class family, Mr. Reddy completed his schooling at the Board of Intermediate Education. While he went to Gandhi Medical College in Secunderabad, Mr. Reddy eventually dropped out.

He was democratically elected as the President of the Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress in 2012. A year later, he was briefly suspended for non-performance along with 14 other members. In 2014, he served as a member of the legislative assembly from Kalwakurthy.

Chandrasekhar Rao of BRS first secured the seat with 3.6 lakh votes, defeating Congress candidate Devarakonda Vittal Rao, who won 3.4 lakh votes. In 2014, AP Jithender Reddy won with 3.3 lakh votes, beating Congress’ Jaipal Reddy by a slight margin. In the next elections, Congress fielded Vamsi Chand Reddy, while BRS fielded Manne Srinivas Reddy for the Mahabubnagar seat. Srinivas Reddy won 4.1 lakh votes, with Chand Reddy coming in third with a mere 1.9 lakh votes. The former Congress and current BJP member, DK Aruna, was the runner-up with 3.3 lakh votes.

The three candidates are once again set to face each other in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.