Telangana Congress yet to reach consensus on candidates

HYDERABAD: The Congress' list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana might not be finalised soon as its Central Election Committee (CEC) is still reviewing the recommendations of the party's screening committee.

It has come to light that during the screening committee meeting held in New Delhi on Sunday, no consensus could be reached in approximately 40 constituencies where there is significant demand for tickets, resulting in multiple aspirants. Given the complexities surrounding these selections, the meeting decided to reconvene, with a likely date set for October 22.

Chaired by MP Muraleedharan and attended by AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakre, TPCC president Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, and Congress MP from Nalgonda N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, among others, the meeting discussed the pressure exerted by various groups seeking party tickets.

Some leaders reportedly proposed delaying the announcement of the candidate list until the proposed bus yatra in Telangana concludes to avoid potential issues with those who might be denied tickets.

Thakre later stated that another screening committee meeting would be scheduled, and the final list would be prepared before the CEC convenes.

While Sunday's meeting tentatively determined the allocation of seats for various social groups, the ultimate list will be finalized before the CEC meeting. Thakre affirmed that commitments made to leaders from the Backward Classes would be honoured. Representations from various groups were discussed during the meeting.

Meanwhile, TPCC president Revanth Reddy declared that Telangana would witness liberation on November 30 when the State's citizens vote out the ruling BRS. He emphasised that under a Congress Government with six guarantees, the lives of the people would improve significantly.

Revanth Reddy expressed optimism, stating, "Better days are ahead for Telangana. The Election Commission has announced the date of Telangana's liberation. On November 30, the plague that has afflicted Telangana will come to an end. The people of Telangana should celebrate the upcoming Vijayadashami with great enthusiasm. With Congress' six guarantees, light will shine in the lives of Telangana's people."