Elections 2014: Disputes delay Congress candidates selection in Telengana
Hyderabad: Selection of candidates for Telangana state is yet to be completed and the Congress high command has begun selecting candidates in Andhra Pradesh.
AICC screening committee met in New Delhi on Thursday with Digvijay Singh, Vayalar Ravi, APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy, APCC Campaign Committee chairman Chiranjeevi and Union minister Panabaka Laxmi attending the meeting.
In Telangana, most of the candidates selected were old familiar faces while in Andhra Pradesh most faces are new.
While speaking to the media two days ago, AICC general secretary and party state affairs in-charge Digvijay Singh said that the selection of candidates in Telangana state is almost complete barring some seats where there are disputes.
Congress MP V. Hanumantha Rao was aspiring to contest from Amberpet Assembly constituency but Diddi Rambabu has been selected according to sources. Adi Srinivas name was cleared by the high command for Vemulawada Assembly constituency which has been opposed by Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar and former minister D. Sridhar Babu.
In Adilabad district, A. Indrakaran Reddy who joined the Congress two days ago wants to contest from the Nirmal Assembly constituency represented by Congress MLA Maheswar Reddy.
While the Congress wants Indrakaran Reddy to contest from Siripur Assembly constituency, where his close friend K. Konappa is hoping to get a ticket. Mr Indrakaran Reddy has proposed his name for Adilabad instead.
In the city, Union minister S. Satyanarayana wants to change sitting MLAs K. Laxma Reddy from Medchal, Sudheer Reddy from L.B. Nagar and P. Sankar Rao from Secunderabad Cantonment. All the three MLAs have written to the high command not to give Malkajgiri ticket to Mr Satyanarayana.
In Khammam district, Kottagudem seat was allotted to CPI as part of the alliance. Vanama Nageswar Rao, who was elected from Kottagudem in the past, wants to contest from Khammam this time which is being aspired by Puvvada Ajay Kumar and former MLA Younus Sultan. According to sources Younus Sultan plans to join the TRS.
High command has decided against giving a ticket to former minister Mr Sankar Rao for Secunderabad Cantonment, and instead give a ticket to his daughter from Chevella, according to party sources.
For Patancheru constituency, local leaders want a ticket be given to Bhoopal Goud instead of sitting MLA Nandiswar Goud, who in protest, has decided to join the TRS but other Congress leaders have stopped him from doing so.
Former deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha wants his wife to get Sangareddy ticket, currently represented by Congress MLA Jaggareddy.
Senior leaders disappointed
The Congress high command has decided to give one ticket per family which has come as a huge disappointment to many senior Congress leaders who wanted tickets for their family members.
Former ministers K. Jana Reddy wanted a ticket for his son Raghuveer, P. Sabita Indra Reddy wanted to field her son Karthik Reddy, M. Mukesh aspired for a ticket for his son Vikram Goud while D. Srinivas wanted a ticket for his son Sanjay, MP Anjan Kumar Yadav and MLA R. Damodar Reddy want tickets to their sons, while Damodar Raja Narasimha and Uttam Kumar Reddy want tickets for their wives.
