Naveen Yadav leads race for Congress ticket in Jubilee Hills

HYDERABAD: The race for the Congress ticket in the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election appears to be tilting in favour of Naveen Yadav, party insiders indicated on Tuesday.

For the bypoll, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has sent three names to the party high command — Naveen Yadav, C N Reddy and Anjan Kumar Yadav. Chief minister Revanth Reddy, TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan held a virtual meeting on Tuesday to review the names recommended by ministers overseeing the constituency.

Revanth Reddy prefers local candidate

Sources said the leaders discussed the pros and cons of each aspirant before forwarding the list to the Congress central leadership. Former Hyderabad mayor Bonthu Rammohan, meanwhile, clarified that he was not in the race. “I have not asked anyone for the ticket. Whether I get it or not, I will work for the victory of the party candidate,” he told reporters.

Party sources said the final decision would rest with the chief minister. Revanth Reddy is said to prefer a local face, and both Naveen Yadav and C N Reddy fall under that category.

BC quota could clinch it for Yadav

TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud reportedly indicated that the ticket might go to a Backward Class candidate. In that case, Naveen Yadav’s name is almost certain, according to party insiders.

However, speculation persists that apart from the three shortlisted names, the high command might also consider other senior leaders.

The Congress central election committee will meet in Delhi on Wednesday to finalise candidates for the Bihar polls. It is unclear whether the Jubilee Hills bypoll will also come up for discussion. If the party accepts the TPCC’s recommendations, it could announce its candidate as early as Wednesday; if it needs further consultations, it might take a few more days to make a decision.