Congress’ Raghuram Reddy Vying To Win Back Khammam With Left’s Support

The Khammam Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana is expected to witness a tough three-cornered battle between the BRS, Congress and BJP. The Congress has fielded Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy to take on the sitting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP Nama Nageswara Rao who is vying for another term from the seat. The BJP, which has relatively less significance in the constituency, has decided to give a tough battle this time by fielding Tandra Vinod Rao.

Raghuram Reddy comes with a political lineage as he is the son of veteran Congress leader and former MP, Ramasahayam Surender Reddy. Surender Reddy has been an MP for four terms and a Member of the State Legislature for another four terms.

Notably, the loss of the BRS in the recent assembly elections and the support of the left parties gained by the Congress candidate gives the Congress contestant an edge over others. Raghuram Reddy has called on Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders seeking the support of the INDIA bloc alliance partner for his victory from Khammam, the traditional citadel of the left parties.

The CPI (M) leaders, including party district secretary Nunna Nageswara Rao, welcomed the Congress candidate’s words and assured support. Notably, the Congress and its then ally CPI had made a clean sweep in Khammam in Assembly elections held in November 2023. 

In a recent interview, Raghuram Reddy said that a vote for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections would pose a danger to democracy and reservations. Noting the BJP leader’s open declaration of the need for a bigger majority to change the Constitution, the Congress contestant alleged that the BJP was working on a conspiracy to change the Constitution.

 The 63-year-old Congress candidate has over 58 crore assets as per his affidavit before the Election Commission.  A criminal case is also there against Raghuram Reddy. The postgraduate holder declares himself as a businessman in his affidavit. 

Given the support of the left parties and considering the performance of the last assembly elections, it is learnt that the Congress candidate can wrest the Khammam Lok Sabha constituency back.