Andhra Pradesh: No takers for Congress as state, union ministers leave party

Hyderabad: Generally, infighting in the Congress to get poll tickets is quite cut-throat as different groups and candidates lobby in Delhi to get nominations.
This time, however, it is a totally different scenario in Andhra Pradesh. Several Congress MLAs and state and Union ministers have left the party after its leadership presided over the bifurcation of the state.

And those who are still in the party seem reluctant to enter the fray. In the ongoing municipal elections, too, there was little interest in contesting.
In many districts, Congress leaders did not file nominations for municipal wards.

In Anantapur district, the home district of APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy, out of 323 wards, Congress candidates did not file nominations in 127 wards.
In East Godavari districtm, there were no Congress nominations in 614 wards while in West Godavari district, there were no party nominations in 198 wards. There were no Congress nominations in 126 wards in Kadapa district.

Mr Reddy on Sunday talked to district Congress presidents and told them to forward any applications from Congress leaders seeking Assembly tickets.
Around 50 MLAs and some ministers have left the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh.