Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
HYDERABAD
The first list of Congress party is yet to be announced but the central leadership anticipating trouble from the aspirants, who fail to get the tickets, has roped in a four-member consultation committee to understand the ground reality in the constituencies and pacify them.
With the schedule for the State Assembly elections already announced and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) gearing up to launch a political blitzkrieg with its supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao embarking on 17-day tour of 41 constituenciesthe Congress party has a Herculean task to identify the disgruntled leaders and pacify them to back the official candidates and match the rival parties.
The AICC has constituted a four member panel comprising AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakre, Deepa Dasmunshi, Meenakshi Natarajan (both party observers) and former Minister K. Jana Reddy to hold wide ranging consultations with the party leaders and identify the potential constituencies where trouble is likely to brew after announcement of the tickets.
The spectacular win of Congress in neighbouring Karnataka Assembly elections saw huge response to the party’s invitation for applications from aspirants. Over 1,050 applications were submitted, which were subsequently scrutinised by a screening committee that shortlisted three names from each constituency. The committee also banked on a survey report submitted by the poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
Too many aspirants
But too many aspirants within the party, entry of leaders from other parties and newcomers testing their luck is all compounding the Congress woes. The party and more so the four-member panel now has its task cut out to bring a sense of unity as it has to tackle the trouble that could arise after announcement of the candidates list. Pacifying serious party contenders, reassuring the defectors who lost out and handle the threats held out against the newcomers is where the party leaders patience will be put to test.
Trouble in 40 seats
Multiple sources in the State Congress admit unease among many aspirants who are confident of tickets but are now wary of newly inducted defectors and newcomers likely to bag the B-Forms. Leaders maintain that trouble is brewing in at least 40 Assembly constituencies, where the party chances are bright. All districts are affected by the unease and speculation that seniors are likely to be sidelined is causing heartburn.
TPCC sources said constituencies such as Adilabad, Boath, Balkonda, Armoor, Nizamabad Urban, Karimnagar, Huzurabad, Husnabad, Jangaon, Alair, Bhongir, Nakrekal, Devarakonda, Suryapet, Kollapur, Nagarkurnool, Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Palair, Khammam, Kothagudem, Yellandu. , Medak, Qutubullapur, Jubilee Hills, Khairatabad, Zaheerabad, Tandur, Malkajgiri and more are witnessing problem of plenty. The situation has reached a stage where DCC leaders of Adilabad and Karimnagar passed resolutions that they would back any party candidate but would oppose newcomers.
Utter confusion in Khammam
Entry of defectors from other parties and indications that they might get the party nod has upset the seniors. A sense of utter confusion prevails in old Khammam district, where the entry of suspended BRS seniors Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao has completely changed the political scenario.
Considered a Congress stronghold, their entry and the hopes of possible alliance with the CPI and CPI (M) is causing nightmares to the committed Congress leaders, who were hopeful of tickets. These leaders including the Left parties are staking claim on Khammam, Kothagudem and Palair seats, incidentally all general seats. Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary is understood to have expressed strong reservation on these developments. Talk of YSRTP chief Y.S. Sharmila planning to enter the fray in Khammam district has added to the confusion.
Senior Congress leaders like R. Damodar Reddy, Dr. G. Chinna Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Dr. Nagam Janardhan Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, TPCC working president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, P. Vijaya Reddy and P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy (both children of former CLP leader P. Janardhan Reddy) are perturbed over the talk of others getting preference over them.
Revanth allays fears
TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy tried to allay the fears of the Congress leaders claiming that those who miss the bus will surely be accommodated elsewhere. “There are MLC and MPs seats besides State run corporation chiefs, where all the deserving leaders will be considered. The party is not going to disappoint committed leaders and cadres,” he said.
