Congress Withholds B-Forms Amid Multiple Aspirants in Municipal Polls
Party sources said the TPCC leadership has decided to issue the B Forms on February 3, last date for withdrawal of nominations, in a bid to ensure that only the official candidate remains in the fray.
Hyderabad: The Congress has held back the distribution of B Forms which entitle its candidates to use the party symbol for the municipal elections scheduled for Febrary 11 after multiple aspirants filed nominations in several wards before the deadline ended on Friday.
Party sources said the TPCC leadership has decided to issue the B Forms on February 3, last date for withdrawal of nominations, in a bid to ensure that only the official candidate remains in the fray.
As the municipal elections are contested on party lines, the leadership is keen to avoid internal divisions that could weaken winning prospects. Committees have been constituted across districts to engage with rebel candidates and persuade them to withdraw their nominations. Clarity on who remains in the contest is expected only on the final day, following which B-forms will be handed over. The party has decided that candidates with better winning prospects, assessed through surveys and local feedback, will be preferred.
AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan and TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud are holding meetings with key leaders from parliamentary constituencies, barring Hyderabad and Secunderabad where elections will not be held on February 11, to finalise candidates and chalk out strategies for victory. Sources said that in constituencies with a large number of aspirants, only those assessed to have strong grassroots support and electoral viability would be fielded. Efforts are also being made to placate rebels by assuring them of party or government responsibilities in the future.
The leadership is proceeding cautiously amid simmering disputes between senior leaders and local MLAs in several Assembly segments. In Jagtial, differences between senior leader T. Jeevan Reddy and local MLA Sanjay Kumar over candidate selection have drawn the attention of the high command, with minister Uttam Kumar Reddy expected to take a final call after examining rival lists. Elsewhere, candidate selection is largely being left to local screening committees, taking into account district-level dynamics.
In undivided Mahbubnagar district, considered politically sensitive as it is Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s home turf, ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Vakiti Srihari have conducted surveys to identify strong contenders. In Nalgonda, where Congress has a strong presence with two MPs and 11 MLAs, B-forms will be issued strictly based on survey findings, while talks are reportedly underway with the AIMIM party in select areas.
Khammam district has seen active involvement from Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao, amid discussions on an alliance with the Left parties. In Warangal, coordination is being handled by senior ministers and MLAs, while in Karimnagar and Adilabad districts, ministers and district leaders are working to consolidate the party’s position.
In undivided Nizamabad, the home district of TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, the Congress is eyeing the mayoral seat and the Bodhan municipality, with strategies being drawn up by district in-charge Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior leaders. Party sources said the overall aim is to replicate the success seen in recent panchayat elections and secure a clean sweep in municipalities and corporations across the state.