One big question that is being asked by several analysts is why young leader and former minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu was ignored by the Congress High Command. While the AICC this time preferred a team of young leaders, it completely sidelined Sridhar Babu. No post was announced and no assurance was given to him.

Highly placed sources say that the main reason why Sridhar Babu was overlooked was his wife. Sridhar Babu’s wife Shailaja Ramaiyer is an IAS office in Telangana and currently the Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles and Apparel Export Parks. There are rumours that the TRS top leadership is in touch with him through her. While several people close to Sridhar Babu refute these allegations, the high command reportedly received written petitions about Sridhar Babu’s ‘back-door’ links with the ruling TRS.

Sridhar Babu belongs to a diehard Congress family. His father Sripada Rao was the speaker of the AP legislative assembly when he was killed by Maoists. Sridhar Babu was the minister for civil supplies, consumer affairs, legal metrology and legislative affairs in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government. But there have always been rumours of Sridhar Babu being in touch with the TRS leadership through his wife.

Similar allegations of proximity to TRS have marred the chances of senior leader and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar. Both these leaders from Karimnagar are unhappy but may not leave the Congress as of now. They are hoping that they would be rehabilitated by the AICC.