Congress waits for BRS, BJP leaders to join; full list likely on October 9

HYDERABAD: The Congress is likely to release its full list of candidates for the Assembly polls on October 9, with sources attributing the delay to leaders from other parties seeking to join the Congress and ongoing alliance talks with Left parties, BSP and Telangana Jana Samiti.

Between August 18 and 25, the TPCC received 1,016 applications for 119 constituencies, with the unit’s chief A. Revanth Reddy then stating that it was the only route for nomination.

However, brewing dissent within BRS and BJP has led to many prominent leaders holding talks with the Congress. Among them was former BRS minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, who joined the Congress after August 25 and Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumanth Rao, who intends to join the party.

In the next few days, nearly 30 prominent leaders, all former MPs and MLAs, from the BJP are also expected to join the party. BRS MLAs Rathod Bapu Rao, Rekha Naik, Bethi Subhash Reddy, T. Rajaiah, Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy and BRS MLC Kasireddy Narayan Reddy are also expected to join the Congress if assured of tickets.

The task of holding alliance talks is learnt to have been assigned to CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other senior leaders.

The party's high command plans to announce candidates for all seats in one go to give candidates time to campaign and also pacify disgruntled leaders with promises of nominated posts.