As the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the All India Congress Committee will be meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise the second list of candidates for contesting the November 30 assembly elections in Telangana, several party seniors are keeping their fingers crossed over their fate.
Already, the Pradesh Congress Committee screening committee has forwarded the second list to the CEC and it will scrutinise the list and release it in a day or two after making appropriate changes in the final list.
A party leader said the CEC will take into consideration all factors before approving the list of the candidates.
“It will be final and no changes are entertained after that,” PCC working president Mahesh Kumar Goud told reporters.
In the first list of candidates announced on October 15, as many as 55 candidates were announced and it led to a lot of disgruntlement among several aspirants.
While many seniors were left out, quite a few new faces and those who defected from other parties were given the tickets.
Several seniors like Madhu Yashki, Ponnam Prabhakar, Md Shabbir Ali, Mahesh Kumar Goud, Tummala Nageshwar Rao, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Malreddy Ranga Reddy could not find their names in the first list.
“They are hoping that at least in the second list, they would figure. But if the high command looks for new faces, there will be a big revolt in the party,” sources said.
There has also been a lot pressure from BC candidates. In the first list, out of 55 candidates, only 12 were BCs and among them, five were given tickets in Old City of Hyderabad where they have absolutely no chances of winning. At least in the second list, the BCs are hoping to get at least 22-25 seats.
Similarly, there is also a lot of demand for party tickets from Muslim minorities. There have been representations from minorities for the allotment of party tickets in Adilabad, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar seats. The Congress will definitely do justice to minorities who, we are sure, on the side of the party,” Mahesh Kumar Goud said.
AICC secretary Mansoor Ali Khan said the CEC of the Congress was still looking into a lot of equations before finalising the candidates. He warned the ticket aspirants against making statements that would affect the party’s interests.
“If they have any objections, they should discuss within the party forums and not in public,” he said.
