One ticket for two elections; bumper offer by Congress in Seemandhra region

Hyderabad:The Congress, hardpressed to find candidates in its bare cupboard in Seemandhra, has come up with a novel offer: One ticket for two elections.Most of its legislators in Seemandhra have migrated to other parties, while former chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has set up its own outfit, following the Congress decision to bifurcate the state.

The situation is so bad that in the local elections, the Congress could not find candidates for about 1,000 seats. This is a new scenario for the party, where used to candidates jostle to get tickets.While the legislators have fled, the second rung leaders are afraid to take the plunge because they are afraid that the migratory birds will return to the Congress for the next elections if the party's prospects improve. These leaders will then be left out in the cold.

To assuage their fears, Andhra Congress chief N. Raghuveera Reddy is proposing that the candidates who enter the fray this time will be assured of tickets in the 2019 elections also.He has clarified that, win or lose, the party would nominate these loyalists in 2019 as well. After discussing the proposal with party leaders, Mr Raghuveera Reddy intends to take it to the high command.