Leaders offer to contest, provided party arranges funds
Picture used for representational purpose. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: With the Election Commission on Wednesday commencing the process of filing of nomination papers for the Medak Lok Sabha bypoll, caused by the resignation of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana state PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah has started collecting opinions from district Congress leaders on fielding a candidate acceptable to all.
In a meeting convened at a hotel in Madhapur attended by all leaders on Wednesday, several new names came to fore for being the Congress candidate. Former Union minister S. Jaipal Reddy and former Medak MP Vijayashanti told the TPCC president that they are not interested in contesting. However, the names of former Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha, former Union minister of state Sarve Satyanarayana, former MP Vijaya Rama Rao, former government chief whip Jaggareddy and former minister Suneetha Laxma Reddy came up for discussion.
Incidentally, all the above mentioned leaders attended the meeting and conveyed their willingness to contest in the bypoll, and some of them even asked Mr Lakshmaiah that they will contest provided the party arranges funds to match the spending by the TRS nominee.
Sources said, Mr Lakshmaiah has not assured finances from the party and promised to speak to the high command on the issue. It was decided at the meeting to wage an united fight on behalf of the Congress in order to take on the TRS.
The TPCC president has announced that he will temporarily shift his base from Hyderabad to Medak to monitor the campaign. Leaders have assured him that they will work for the party candidate decided by the high command.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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