This story is from March 22, 2019

TRS swears by Nama, Khammam all set for battle royale

When he was a TDP candidate from Khammam in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Nama Nageshwara Rao was one of the wealthiest candidates to have entered the electoral fray. The industrialist-tur ned-politician went on to defeat then Union minister Renuka Chowdary of the Congress by a margin of 1,24,448 votes.
TRS swears by Nama, Khammam all set for battle royale
(Representative image)
HYDERABAD: When he was a TDP candidate from Khammam in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Nama Nageshwara Rao was one of the wealthiest candidates to have entered the electoral fray. The industrialist-tur ned-politician went on to defeat then Union minister Renuka Chowdary of the Congress by a margin of 1,24,448 votes. And on Thursday, he was named by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao as the party nominee from Khammam and in all probability, he would take on his arch rival, Renuka, again if the Congress finalises — which looks imminent — her name.

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The Khammam race is unfolding into an interesting battle considering the fact that the name of sitting MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy of TRS is also under the consideration of the Congress leadership. Srinivas, who won the seat on YSRCP symbol and later joined the TRS, was denied a ticket this time by KCR. KCR was upset that Srinivas did not work for the victory of party candidates in the December assembly elections and instead ‘helped’ the Congress-led Praja Kutami win a good number of seats in Khammam district.
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The TRS leadership had even considered the name of businessman Vakayalapati Rajendra Prasad before plumping for Nageshwara Rao. Curiously, both Rao and Prasad’s names were considered by the Congress also.
Political observers say the contest will get murkier as Renuka and Rao brace for another joust. Since both belong to the same (Kamma) community, the rivals would want to cash in on the strong settler population in the common Khammam district, a senior observer pointed out. While Renuka continues to lick her wounds over the high command giving her a short shrift in the assembly polls, insiders from her camp aver that she is very keen to contest from Khammam to prove a point or two.
Sources said Renuka is not facing strong opposition within the party. Only senior leader V Hanumantha Rao is eyeing the seat. It would be the fourth time for Renuka if she gets the Khammam ticket. She contested the seat for the first time in 1999 and defeated TDP’s M Swarna Kumari with a margin of 8,398 votes and won against Nageshwara Rao in 2004 by 1,08,888 votes.
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