The Congress on Friday announced Palvai Sravanthi as its candidate for the forthcoming by-election to Munugode Assembly constituency in Telangana.
Interim party president Sonia Gandhi approved the name of Sravanthi as the party candidate, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Mukul Wasnik said in a statement.
Sravanthi is the daughter of former MP Palvai Govardhan Reddy. The 49-year-old was among several aspirants for the ticket.
Local Congress leaders Challamalla Krishna Reddy, Palle Ravi Kumar, Kailash and other local leaders were aspiring for the ticket.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President A. Revanth Reddy and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Bhatti Vikramarka had held separate meetings with the ticket aspirants.
The state Congress unit had sent a report to the central leadership, suggesting four names. After going through the report about the strengths and weaknesses of the aspirants, the leadership chose Sravanthi as the party candidate.
“The candidate for forthcoming by-election for Munugode Assembly has been approved by Congress President Sonia Gandhi. My best wishes to sister Palvai Sravanthi. Our beloved leader Palvai Govardhan Reddy garu’s blessings will always be with us,” tweeted Revanth Reddy.
Munugode seat in Nalgonda district fell vacant following the resignation of Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, who has also quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Raj Gopal Reddy was formally inducted into the BJP by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a public meeting held at Munugode in August. He has announced that he will be contesting the by-election as a BJP candidate.
The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is yet to announce its candidate. Like the Congress, the TRS also has several contenders for the party ticket.
TRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to announce the candidate in the next few days.
The Election Commission has still not announced the schedule for the by-election. However, the political parties expect that the by-poll will be held in October or November this year.
