Hyderabad: Former Pedapalli MP G. Vivek might be the Congress candidate for the Warangal Lok Sabha bypoll following the induction of Kadiam Srihari into the TRS Cabinet.

Mr Vivek had been elected as the Congress MP from neighbouring Pedapalli Lok Sabha in 2009, but had lost in 2014 polls by a heavy margin in the hands of TRS nominee Balka Suman.

Between 2009 and 2014, Mr Vivek had joined the TRS for a while before coming back to the Congress following the Congress Working Committee’s decision in favour of granting a Telangana state.

“We need a strong candidate for the Warangal Lok Sabha bypoll; it would be better if we had Vivek as the Congress nominee,” said Warangal DCC general secretary E. Venkata Reddy.

However, everything is speculative as of now. Mr Kadiam Srihari is yet to resign his Lok Sabha membership and it may take at least six to eight months for the whole procedure to be completed.

Mr Vivek, meanwhile, ruled out speculations that he may join the TRS again since the party has no local strongman for the Warangal Lok Sabha by-poll.

“I have no intention of joining the TRS, I am in the Congress and will remain in the Congress; as far as the speculation about my name being circulated for Warangal Lok Sabha, really I don’t know…I am yet to give it a thought,” he said.

TPCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah said, “It is too early to talk about the Congress candidate now, let there be a resignation from Kadiam Srihari first.”