Four months after dethroning the BRS government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao in Telangana, the ruling Congress is appearing to be dithering and weak as it struggles to declare candidates for three key Lok Sabha seats – Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad. In certain seats, even after its leaders were relentlessly poached by the two national parties, the BRS seems to be in a better position to fight with the BJP. The last date for filing nominations is 25 April.

In Khammam, where the Congress is certain of a win, the high command has been unable to name a candidate because revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka both are in the fray to secure the nomination for their brother and wife, respectively.

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In Karimnagar, which is witnessing a tough fight between BJP’s sitting MP and its key leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar and B Vinod Kumar from the BRS, the Congress is yet to officially announce its candidate. However, on Monday, V Rajender Rao accompanied by transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who is party in charge of the constituency, submitted his nomination papers.

In the Hyderabad constituency, where sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi is being challenged by BJP’s K Madhavi Latha, the BRS has nominated a BC leader who might help Owaisi. Although a few days back Congress leader Feroze Khan had indicated that the AIMIM had reached a compromise with Congress, this was denied by Owaisi. Now, the party is yet to name a candidate but G Kanhaiah Lal and Syed Shah Mujahed Hussaini filed two sets of nomination papers.

In Secunderabad too, the Congress seemed to be in a half-hearted race against sitting MP and Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who is also the BJP’s state president. It has nominated BRS MLA Danam Nagender for the key seat after he joined the party recently. But Nagender has not only refused to resign as an MLA, there is a bit of apprehension in the party because his campaign has been lacklustre so far. The Surat incident, where BJP won unopposed, has also made the party wary. But on Tuesday evening, Danam Nagender collected his B form along with Neelam Madhu Mudiraj and Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, the candidates for the Medak and Bhuvanagiri constituencies.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is focusing on the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha seat which has turned out to be a prestige issue since his own constituency Kodangal comes under it. Although Congress candidate Vamsi Chand Reddy was among the first ones to be nominated by the party, the early start has not done much good since DK Aruna of the BJP is putting up a good fight. Although the Congress had won all the seven constituencies, just four months back it is turning out to be an uphill task.