Telangana: Senior Congress leaders write to Kharge, urge to reconsider candidate lists

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India]: Senior Congress leaders in Telangana, G Niranjan and M Kodanda Reddy, have written a letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge urging him to revise and reconsider the first and second lists of candidates for next month’s Assembly elections in the state.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Senior Vice President G Niranjan and AICC Kisan Congress Vice Chairman M Kodanda Reddy, in their letter, claimed that there is ‘dissatisfaction’ among senior leaders in the party due to the first and second list of candidates.

“The first and second lists of the candidates announced by our party created flutter and dissatisfaction among the cadre and leaders, including those who have been with the party for decades,” the letter written to Kharge said.

It further said that there is an opinion that the parachute candidates are given priority at the cost of committed and loyal leaders, though they are competent to fight the elections in all respects.

“In view of the feelings and dissatisfaction of the cadre we request your good self to review and reconsider the names of the candidates announced in the first and second lists to repose the confidence among the people and to set right the prevailing atmosphere in the Party,” the Telangana Congress leaders said.

The Congress released its first list of 55 candidates on October 15, while second list of 45 candidates was announced on October 27 by the party.

The Congress party has so far announced candidates for 100 out of 119 Assembly seats.

Both lists triggered resignations by some leaders, who were denied tickets. In the previous Assembly election in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), won 88 of the 119 seats, hogging 47.4 per cent of the total vote share.

The Congress came in a distant second with just 19 seats.

The counting of votes for the Telangana Assembly will be held along with those of four other poll-bound states on December 3.